YuGiOh! 5D's: Road to Destiny
by americancheeze
Summary: Sequel to my Reverse of Arcadia story. An era of peace has arrived in New Domino City, but not for Koyou Kou. Admist his troubles a new threat appears to endanger the city: The Machine Emperors and the Order of Yliaster. Please R
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Welcome to the sequel to my Reverse of Arcadia fic and the last season of the 5D's era of this ongoing series. Time has past since the end of the last chapter of Reverse of Arcadia, and reference will be made to an adventure that happened in the time between. I was tempted to write it as a full fic of its own, but instead I decided to only include references to it in this fic, keeping the reader a bit in the dark, and maybe do flashbacks to it later. Essentially, along with some fic exclusive side events, the adventure was the events of the Wii game "Duel Trancer" but with slight modifications mentioned in this chapter (and also no characters from this upcoming season that appeared in that game, like Sherry LeBlanc, were involved at all in the events despite appearing in the game itself).

Chapter 1: Shattered Bonds, Broken Bones

Six months after we had defeated the Dark Signers, the world was at peace and the city was closer to that dream of being reunited than ever before. Satellite was linked to New Domino City by the Daedalus Bridge and much of it was renovated by charities and businesses that saw a chance to get cheap land and cheap labor. In another step forward for many people dreams, it was that cheap land and labor, along with government grants for people setting up businesses there, that gave people the chance to start the new business they had always wanted to. It was easy to tell that it was the first steps into a golden age. There was even a monument built to celebrate the new era of unison, though why it was a towering upside teardrop with a glass faux diamond at the top was a mystery to me at the time. Though it did look like an infinity symbol reflected in the water, but that only made slightly more sense.

But I digress, the heroes responsible for the new peace, myself included, had moved on with their lives since the struggle, but banded together once again a few months after the war had ended. They fought remnants of my past in more ways than one. The simplest were the left over copies of me from a twisted experiment, each of them bearing the marks of the defeated Dark Signers. The worst were the Transcenders, robotic super duelists from a forgotten empire and led by the revived king of that empire, who was my ancestor and the first bearer of the Claws of the Crimson Dragon. It was a rough ride for everyone involved.

I've told you this before, but Yusei, Crow, and Jack moved into a place in the city and got jobs there. Crow still helps raise Satellite orphans and eventually moving into a different place close by with my sister Mei, who despite everything was mostly her old energetic self. She's graduated from Duel Academy now and is going to a local college while working as a trainee teacher (pretty much a tutor) at the Duel Academy. Aki had decided to finish her education and was in her senior year at the academy thanks to advanced placement. The twins Leo and Luna were in the middle school branch of the Academy too. Though, honestly I'm not sure how exactly they are all doing.

It had been months since I'd spoken to any of the Signers. While the world was at peace like I said and the Signers had moved on with their lives, I had moved apart from them. My last moments with them being a fight and break-up with Aki in the middle of the night and decking my best friend. They were living their new lives while I stayed in one place, spinning my wheels and fuming about things none of us had any control over and holding onto grudges that even then I knew were pointless and unjustified. I was a wreck, and in no shape to make amends or help out the person in my life that had more reason to be wreck: my mother.

After my dad's death during the Dark Signer conflict, she tried to put on a brave face but it was obvious she was just hiding how much she missed him. It was like half of her was dead. We'd catch her crying alone a lot and even a few months later she was clearly still a wreck. She'd nearly had a breakdown when I went to stop that mess with the leftover clones and the Transcenders. She's a lot better know, but I can tell the weight of everything is still heavy on her. Actually, soon after coming back from defeating the Transcenders we discovered one reason she'd been taking it so hard. My mom was going to have another kid. She'd found out not long after the mess with the Dark Signers was over and been hiding it from us. It was twins again too. In three months I'd have a kid brother and a kid sister.

I was in no state to be a good big brother though. Back then, everything was just happening around me, without me. I spent most of my time in the apartment I'd set up in the garage of the family house. I'd either work odd jobs, tune my duel runner, duel folks, or help my mother around the house. That last one was a rare thing though considering the other family member that had moved back in after graduating college.

On that fateful day six months after the Dark Signer business, I was staring into the bathroom mirror at the scars I'd earned in that struggle, applying some cream that was supposed to lessen scarring. It was stupid I know, those creams don't work on claw marks from wounds that nearly cleaved off arms or burns in the shape of fell markings that burned to the outside from within. It was more an act of semi-psychotic desperation. An effort to do something... anything about them. I couldn't stand the sight of them. More than just a hideous deformity, they were proof of the monster that I was inside.

"Koko! You have guests!" that previously mentioned family member called out and came into the bathroom so unannounced that I barely had time to react and conceal my scars with a shirt.

"Dammit, Koishii! Knock!" I chucked a tube of toothpaste at her, which she deftly caught and tossed back onto the sink as if nothing happened. "And stop calling Koko already, my name is Koyou."

The bubble girl cocked her head sideways, causing her long white ponytail to swoop over to one side, "Come on, guests! Get yourself sorted and come see them! You barely talk to anyone these days."

"Who is it?"

She straightened up, then went on one of her usual long tirades, "Officers Trudge and Mina from Sector Security, they said they wanted to consult you about something. They talked to Mom for a bit already, not sure what about but she's not trying to hide freaking out, so it can't be another end of the world level thing. God those are annoying. You'd think four would have been enough, but no there had to be six. God, I am too old for this mess. Back in my day, all you had to worry about was making sure your robes weren't out of style and you didn't mess up your spell quiz. Boy though, Master Endymion would bewitch you one good if you messed something simple up."

Did I mention Koishii was adopted? And a card spirit born from the soul of a mage from ancient Greece? 'Cause, you know, my family is so weird that we adopt Silent Magicians that talk a lot like it's a totally normal thing to do. There's a long story behind it, but that's a tale for some other time. Right then, I was getting dressed while mentally sorting the useless prattle from the needed information.

"You didn't hear anything about what they want?"

"Oh, uh no. Nothing. Like I said though it doesn't seem huge, but if they are consulting the family that fights the supernatural every so often its probably something weird and duel related. Maybe shadow duels. Again. Seriously why do those keep cropping up no matter how many times they get sealed?"

"I don't know. Anyway, tell them I'll be out in a minute."

"Right." On that note, she headed out of the room, very nearly skipping simply because she walks that way. Why? Hell if I know.

I finished getting ready quickly and went out to meet my guests, coming out of the bathroom and down from the loft into the garage area, "Officers."

Mina gave a polite greeting, as we didn't really know each other that well, "Ah, Kou-san, is this a bad time?"

"Not particularly. I assume this visit is important enough to warrant a mild inconvenience."

"Yes, yes it is. We already spoke to your mother about this issue, since she's the one with the most experience, but we thought we should breach the subject with you too."

"Shadow games?" I deduced. After all, that was really the only thing that Sector Securities would call upon my mother's expertise in. Unless they have a shortage of people with the math expertise of a high school math teacher.

Trudge shrugged, "We're not sure. To put it bluntly someone is running around challenging people to turbo duels and wrecking them."

"The damage is beyond a simple collision." Mina added.

"Bad enough to make you think it's a shadow game... How often is this happening?"

"Twice a week this guy appears out of nowhere on the speedway with no registry information and takes people out." Then he just fades off the grid. People have started calling him Ghost."

I motioned to a table off to the side and went to grab some folding chairs, "Have a seat. I can't really give you any more information than you wouldn't have gotten from Mom," setting the chairs up I moved to the fridge, "but if you have any more details I could help you look into things. If someone is running around challenging people to shadow games, I'm more qualified than the standard policeman for this job."

Mina sat down calmly, "Thanks."

Trudge, however, remained standing. I could tell he had to ask a question that he didn't want to.

It didn't take a genius to figure it out either, "It's not me, and the other Signers can't challenge people to shadow games." I answered it plainly. "Do you two want something to drink?"

"No, I'm good." Trudge fidgeted, "I didn't think you were the one, but-"

"You had to ask. I'm the only one you know of that can do that." I turned to Mina, "Thirsty?"

"A glass of water would be fine." she smiled back, "Any help you could provide us would be appreciated. If you could come by the precinct some time and give a primer on these dark duels it would help if we run into one in the future."

I grabbed some ice and then got her some water, "Honestly, there's not much to know. The pain is real, the rules are law, and you lose you die. That's it. I'd give them a lesser version by manifesting the attacks as light damage, but honestly... I don't have precision control of the ability, or much at all these days if I'm being totally honest. I either shut it off or risk going haywire again. My body can't even take using it anymore."

"Oh."

"I do still have high resistance to it though. So going in I'd be able to handle a lot more damage."

"We hate asking you to help on this after everything you've already done and been through, but-"

"Did you ask Yusei?"

Mina's expression changed. Even though she tried to hide it I knew she was aware of the falling out I'd had with the others. She and Aki had become fairly friendly since the Dark Signer mess, so Mina might even have known the reason Aki and I had broken up. She didn't bring the matter up, "No, not yet. We wanted to consult your mother and you about it first, given your experience. If you had turned us down we were going to ask them though."

Bringing all the Signers into the statement by saying 'them' when I had specifically said 'Yusei' made it all the more clear she was aware of the animosity and trying to avoid it. Not that it mattered. I went over to my desk and rifled through some parts in search of specific ones, "Just tell me the area the guy appears in and I'll go see if I can lure him out and stop him. Just in case, I'll make sure to install a duel monitor and rig up a transmitter to it. That way if I get in a duel you'll know and be able to monitor it."

Trudge nodded in approval, "Thanks a lot. Like Mina says, sorry we're making you do this. I'm sure you're plenty busy with preparing for the WRGP and all."

I glanced over at a flier for the event that I'd gotten in the mail. The World Riding Grand Prix was a huge event scheduled for later in the year. A turbo duel tournament with teams of three facing off in a relay-like format. The flier for it depicted Phoenix Gearfried as a memorial salute to my father. At the bottom they also announced a ball was to be held a short time before the tournament and that a World Tag Grand Prix was also going to precede the main event in salute to the Tag Force Tournaments my father used to be a big deal in.

"I don't have a team." I stated bluntly, going back to looking for the parts.

Trudge was apparently not in the loop, "Huh? What amount- OW!"

I wasn't looking their way, but I figured Mina had elbowed him, and continued cutting him off by changing the subject, "Thanks either way. We really appreciated you putting yourself at risk like this."

"Well, I don't appreciate you asking this." an uncharacteristically angry voice came from the stairs to the loft. I looked over, even though I knew the voice belonged to Koishii, who have apparently been lurking in the stairs and listening in, "Koyou has done enough for you people, gotten hurt more than enough times trying to protect this city."

"Koishii-" I tried to stop her.

"What's the point of Sector Securities at all if you can't even do your job?"

"Koishii!" I raised m voice firmly. Out of the corner of my eye I saw neither officer was arguing against her point. Instead they looked a little deflated, "I'm sure they stop all sorts of duel crimes every day. It's not like I'm out there stopping every theft, assault, or cheater in the city. They only came to us because this is outside their area of expertise."

"Then let me do it for you."

"No." I shook my head as I shot down the idea without hesitation.

"I can handle it."

"I'm doing it."

Koishii stepped heavily over to me, determined and annoyed, "Why does it have to be you? Why are you-"

I snapped, "This isn't up for debate."

"Koko-"

"End of discussion. Get back in the house and mind your own business."

"This is-"

"Go."

With a huff, Koishii stormed off, slamming the door behind her.

"And stop calling me Koko!" I yelled after her.

Trudge and Mina had that look on their face that you get when you're over at a friend's house when they have an argument with their family that has nothing to do with you.

I wasn't in the mood to reassure them, "So, about the location."

Mina was hesitant, "There was no need to be so harsh with her. If your family doesn't approve, we can-"

I held out my hand, "The location."

"If you're sure." Mina pulled a notepad out of her jacket and jotted the information down, "The Ghost appears in the following neighborhoods in the duel lane. Be careful, Koyou. Nobody wants to see you get hurt."

I didn't reply, simply grabbing the parts for the transmitter and moving to install it on my bike. Only once it was underway did I say anything, "You can see yourselves out."

Trudge excused himself, but Mina lingered. See looked at me with concern, "Aki was right, you have changed."

I stood bolt upright. Furious, I barely kept myself from yelling, "Get out of my apartment right now."

Realizing too late that she'd stepped on a land mine, Mina struggled for something to say.

"GET OUT!"

The officer quickly left and I fought the impulse to through the transmitter aside. Fortunately, I was so far gone as to let anger get the better of my common sense. The part was easy enough to put in. The process only took me five minutes. I was no genius mechanic like Yusei, but I had gotten a lot better at it than I had been after spending so much time with little other than runner maintenance to spend my time on. Grabbing the sword shaped duel disk I'd inherited from my father, I strapped the thing, scabbard and all to its place on the side of my runner. It was a black, sporty bike in a somewhat older style than was common these days. The frame's shape somewhat resembled the angles of a horse, but a closer look with the rider mounted unveiled a subtle resemblance to a chariot. That was the name of it too: Black Chariot.

Some fine tuning aside, I sensed someone watching from the door that connected my place to the house. Tuning, I saw my mother there, still very much with-child. She didn't say anything, but I could read the look on her face. It spoke volumes and made it clear she knew knew the situation.

"I'm going."

"I'm not going to stop you." she replied simply. I could tell she didn't like it or the fact that I was saddled with a responsibility to protect others, but she also knew it was pointless to try and argue.

I didn't say anything in reply and just mounted my runner, starting it and unleashing the savage roar of the engine.

It was Mom that was the next to speak, "I'm not going to tell you how to live your life either, or scold you for being like this."

Again I said nothing.

"Just get the job done, be safe, and in your own time get out of this rut you are in and get better. I know its painful, and I won't pretend to understand, but just don't let it win."

She was talking about the forces of chaos sealed within my body. The family burden, the other things I had inherited from my father, the thing that made my chest burn and ache whenever I got angry or sad... which was most of the time.

"That too. I was mainly taking about the anger and sadness though."

"Hmph. You're pretty good at reading minds."

"I lived with your father for over twenty years you know."

I nodded. I'm not sure why. It really wasn't something that warranted a nod, "Anyway, I'll be back in time for dinner. Take it easy and don't push yourself to hard."

She frowned, "Be _careful_."

Without replying, I hit the button to open the garage door and sped out. I was on the highway not long after and downtown withing minutes. The areas Ghost was taking down duelists in were pretty typical of what you'd expect. Imagine an interstate highway, now picture a stretch of that road near a town that was a hub for travel to other parts of a larger area, and that the area we're talking about is not the focal point of anything major. None of those applied to New Domino City of course, it had long ago become a mecca for duelists, waned in popularity, and then enjoyed another upswing lately. Especially with the budding technology coming from it, the new network of turbo dueling tracks along the highway, and the upcoming tournaments. What I'm trying to have you picture is the traffic in the endangered areas and the kind of areas they were. They saw a reasonable amount of traffic, but not enough for many witnesses. That and no one bothered lingering long because it was just a road to somewhere better. You could see lots of duelists passing by, not paying anything or anyone any mind, so the odds of them paying a random duel in a city full of them enough attention to tell something was up were tiny. In fact, because of the nature of the area, noticing something strange would be abnormal unless you were hunting for it. Ghost was exploiting simple psychology through a good knowledge of the area.

That didn't mean he knew the area though. It did, however, mean that whoever it was, he was smart. It wasn't random either. If it were a thug the areas would not be so well selected. This guy had a purpose in his actions. Probably thinning out the competition for the WRGP. If that were the case, and he did indeed have the ability to inflict real damage in duels, it likely meant he had some greater goal in mind for the competition itself. It was hard to picture some guy so motivated by greed that he would use his power just to win a tournament being smart enough to pick precise hunting grounds and dodge the police for so long. There had to be some other motive, even if it were as small time as getting at someone involved with the tournament. I was just making educated assumptions while I searched, but gut instinct backed by logic are the key to good deductive reasoning. I'm sure a ton of cops would back me up in that.

It actually didn't take me nearly as long as I thought to find the guy. One challenge came from a registered guy that I beat without much effort, but that wasn't the target. The Ghost appeared a few minutes later, and my gut told me he had been watching. There was just something in the air and the way he challenged me. The fact that he went after me and not that guy I lost provided some more clues to his motivations that I'd take the time to ponder later. The way he positioned himself was very deliberate. There was a lot of method in the way he sent the challenge entirely through the system, announcing himself before being seen and being dead center behind the target so he would be in perfect view from the duel runner's screen. Then the most telling part: he moved right where the target would most likely look back when it sank in that they were locked in a duel with an unregistered duelist. It made it very clear there was precision it what he was doing, a process. How? He pulled to my right side instead of the usual left. People look over their non-dominant shoulder when they look back. Ghost knew I was left-handed, which meant he'd seen my duel. The extra effort hammered home the methodical nature of his actions. He was waging a psychological attack, trying to intimidate or at least manipulate the target's thinking.

I digress, I hit the button to officially accept the duel and set it to race mode. None of the Speed World rules, just a race while dueling. Victory could either come from beating you opponent in the duel or by reaching a goal first. We moved into the combat lane and the course set a goal point for us.

It was only then that Ghost spoke, his voice arrogant and had a synthetic tinge to it, I assumed he was using a voice changer, "I'll start things off, setting a monster and three face down cards. Turn end."

He was baiting me in, not going for any extra speed or trying to slow me down. It was obvious from his mannerisms that it was a ploy. I started my turn with a draw and set to work powering through the deceit, "I activate the continuous spell Herculean Power and use its effect right away. When my opponent controls a monster while I do not, I may special summon a level four or lower gemini monster from my hand. I special summon Future Samurai." A slender swordsman blade in blue robes and wearing a futuristic visor stepped onto the field from thin air, drawing his katana as he arrived. He was followed by a knight in blue armor engraved with silver magic runes and bearing a matching sword and shield, "Next, I normal summon Tuned Swordsman and equip it with," as I played another spell the magical knight burst into flames, "Supervise. This equip spell can only be equipped to a gemini monster and bypasses the need to normal summon them a second time to gain an effect. Tuned Swordsman's effect? He becomes a tuner monster!" I motioned for a synchro summon, Tuned Swordsman emitting four rings from his shield that Future Samurai dashed into and became rings as Swordsman joined him, "I tune my level four Tuned Swordsman to my level four Future Samurai!" The two monsters formed an outline of a massive, brutish dragon, "Fires of destruction, flames of creation, an irresistible force denies the advancing doom! Synchro shokan! Charge on through," the outline descended, becoming a scarred black dragon a massive pair of forearms and a burly head designed with ramming and tearing, "Black Brutdrago!"

I was so involved in what I was doing that I was careless and forgot to watch my opponent's reactions to them. It was a grave error that caused me to miss the smile that must have crossed Ghost's face as I summoned my ace monster.

I continued, oblivious of what was to come, as a pillar of fire erupted from where Tuned Swordsman had been, and it rose again, "When Supervise is sent to the graveyard, it revives a normal monster from the graveyard, and gemini monsters count as normal monsters in the graveyard." Next I held up a gemini monster from my hand and discarding it, "I discard a gemini monster to activate Black Brutdrago's effect. The card you set first is destroyed by Preemptive Punishment!" the discarded card appeared before the black dragon, who inhaled it and shot it back out as a fireball that shattered the trap in question, which was one I didn't recognize. "Black Brutdrago will crush your set monster!"

The monster flipped revealing a large white egg that was clearly mechanical. It had no attack or defense, but it also didn't get destroyed by my attack, "Once per turn, Wise Core is not destroyed by battle!"

"Then I take it out with Tuned Swordsman instead!" the knight rushed forward.

"No you won't..." the man grinned, "_I_ will. I activate Spark Breaker, destroying Wise Core!"

"What? Why would-"

"The effect of Wise Core activates, special summoning Meklord Emperor Wisel, Wisel Top, Wisel Attack, Wisel Guard, and Wisel Carrier! These five parts combine to form Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity!" the monsters indeed resembled parts of a large robot, and they combined to form one. A massive one with one eye, white armor plating and a blade on one arm. Right on the chest was an infinity symbol. What I didn't get was why he seemed so confident when all it had was 2500 compared to my dragon's 3000. Ghost was kind enough to clarify, "This is over for you and your abomination. Wisel exists to cleanse the unneeded from this world, and this world has no need for synchro monsters."

Sadly, I misunderstood the function of the monster and got arrogant, "Since you changed the monsters on the field I can redirect Tuned Swordsman's attack, and it looks like that thing is still five monsters, so I attack Wisel Attack!"

"I activate the effect of Wisel Guard, redirecting the attack to it." the robot intercepted the attack with its shield arm, which was shattered, but was in defense mode. No damage was done to Ghost.

"Fine." I prepared for more surprises, setting a card before... "I end my turn!"

"Then I will start mine. I draw, then activate the effect of Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity! Once per turn, I attach a face up synchro monster my opponent controls to Wisel, who gains that monster's attack points!" the chest of Wisel opened, and tendrils shot out, ensnaring Black Brutdrago, who was helpless to resist.

"What?" Though I'd seen a similar effect in the struggle against the Dark Signers, this was more specific, and far more deadly. Wisel's attack climbed all the way to 5500 points. In a turbo duel that was more than enough to take me out in one hit. I pondered activating my set card, but waited. The timing wasn't right.

"Now, Wisel attacks Tuned Swordsman!" the towering mech dashed forward blade first at the much smaller monster.

The timing had become right, and Tuned Swordsman vanished as I sprang into action "Is that all you got, 'cause I've got the quick-play spell card Gemini Spark! By tributing a level 4 gemini I control I can destroy one card on your field and then draw a card. I choose my stolen Black Brutdrago, and when it is destroyed and sent to my graveyard it-"

"It won't be going anywhere." Ghost grinned, "I activate my trap card..."

"No..." I was crestfallen... if he negated Gemini Spark I would be wide open with no defense!

"Ghost Convert, by banishing a machine type monster I negate the effect of your spell and then Ghost Convert resets on the field. Black Brutdrago is not destroyed, but you are still wide-open. Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity attacks you directly!"

Stunned, I stared at my grave. If that spell had gone through I'd have reduced Wisel back to 2500 attack, and Brutdrago's effect would have summoned the monster I'd discarded to activate his earlier effect: Phoenix Gearfried and all 2800 of his attack points. I would have been able to turn it around. My play was perfect... It just wasn't good enough.

Quickly snapping out of it and turning my bike I tried to brace for the impact, but there was just too much power behind it. All I'd done was make all 5500 attack points hit the side of my bike... through my left leg. "AGGGGHHHH!"

The blade didn't manage to cut, but the force shattered the bone and amazingly bent the bike itself in two. I went down. Hard. Somehow I instinctively held onto my runner through the whole thing, which was a bad thing. As I rolled it slammed into me and rolled over me, cracking ribs and then slinging me over it. It collided with the barrier on the side of the combat lane and I felt more bones breaking and went a little deaf as the weight of the bike shifted to my helmet. It cracked, but reduced the impact enough to only knock me out and put a lot of pressure on my head rather than popping it like a melon.

The next thing I knew I was hearing the beeping of a heart monitor, the shuffling of frantic feet on what must have been hospital floor, and a familiar voice, "Koyou! Koyou, can you hear me? I'm here!"

"Yusei..." I strained to speak, stopping to adjust my breathing to avoid the pressure and pain in my lungs.

"I'm here! I'm here!"

"It... eats synchro monsters. Don't..." I tried to warn him in detail, but everything went dark.

Next Chapter: Broken Beacon

A/N: There is going to be another time skip between now and the next chapter, as we skip to after Koyou is mostly recovered. This will also mean we are skipping over the mostly filler episodes were Yusei duels the guy at the school, Crow duels the junk guy, Jack fights the loan shark, and Leo and Luna meet ghosts. Assume those happen as the do in the show, but with one or two mentions about Koyou's condition and short mopes about the broken friendship, with Yusei wondering if Koyou trying to warn him meant that Koyou doesn't truly hate them after all.

Also, don't worry, what exactly happened that caused the falling out will be revealed in time.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: A quick reminder, the Yugioh series is technically set in Japan, but this story is written in English. The reason why Koyou says the Japanese style "Synchro shokan!" instead of the English equivalent "Synchro summon!" like everyone else is because everyone is speaking Japanese but it is written here in English. So (as weird as it is), when Koyou says "Synchro shokan!" in-universe he is actually saying it in English. Why? It's a common thing in Yugioh for arrogant characters to mix English Yugioh terms into their play. He does it cause he wanted to sound cool as a kid and it became a habit. Note in the last season of the fic when he was possessed by chaos he stopped doing it.

Chapter Two:

The sound of a socket wrench at work filled the garage as I dwelled hard on something from the past instead of on tuning my runner. It was a skill I had mastered in the past few months, but the things I was caught up on wasn't that far back. It wasn't even as far back as my defeat that day in the Combat Lane, though heaven knows I had new scars to show for that. I was dwelling on Yusei's words that one time after that he'd visited me. I was dwelling on is expression too. It was like it was painful for him to be there, or maybe to see me in that condition, maybe both. It was a few weeks after and I was finally on low enough doses of pain killers to be lucid again.

"I don't know if you heard me when I told you before, you were-"

I cut him off, my tone had been neutral, emotionless, "Unconscious, do of course I didn't hear you. You beat him though, didn't you?"

"Barely."

"Of course you did. You're the hero. Everyone loves you." I stated plainly, then thought to myself _'Everyone.'_

"This isn't over though, Koyou. He wasn't human. The Ghost was a stolen duel robot. Someone gave it that deck, that monster, and programmed it to attack duelists with it."

Issues with him aside, I'd looked to him in shock, "I suppose it got away after revealing itself or something?"

"No, the robot was destroyed when I beat him, but someone got to the wreckage before I did. They took the deck and the computer of the runner."

"Then whoever it was must have been watching."

Yusei looked at me with resolved, "The city's in danger again, Koyou, and we aren't strong enough. We need to find some way to get stronger."

It was that part I was dwelling on: the 'we' part. He'd meant all of us, including me. He still included me. Even after the fight with Aki, the break-up, the fight with him... after the months of avoiding them and stewing in my anger he still thought of me as one of them. The prodigal Signer that he was simply waiting to welcome back into the fold without hesitation.

I threw my wrench across the room at the thought, at the fact that he was such a better man than I was. Anger filled me because he was everything I had ever wanted to be and without even trying. Anger filled me because anger filled me about that. My body mostly did what it had been doing for a while, and that's walk over and do what needed to be done without any real input from me. I was on autopilot, dead inside. I had nothing. Nothing but a limp from the leg that was still healing up and scars inside and outside my body. My arm picked up the wrench from where it had hit the wall and landed on my desk.

I had turned Yusei down.

And he'd been surprised, "What? Why? We can put everything aside for the sake of the city right?"

"It has nothing to do with me, Yusei. It never did."

"You're-"

"I'm not one of you!" I snapped back at him, "I'm not some chosen hero! I never was! That's you. YOU! Nothing I do matters."

"That's not true, I couldn't have beaten Goodwin without-"

"Me? You're underselling the four other Signers that were there, Yusei."

Yusei had looked at me, split between confusion and regret. Unsure if he'd done something to me or not. He had no way to know why I was so angry. It was clear Aki hadn't told him why we'd broken up or why I'd decked him that night. "Koyou, I'm sorry for whatever got you so angry at me, but I want you to know that I still want to be your friend. I know this isn't really you and I want to-"

"Help me? Get the hell out, Yusei. Out of the room and out of my life."

Yusei frowned, "Whenever you want to talk about this, I'll be trying to save the city. You know where I live."

Pulling myself out of my thoughts, I stared for a second at the wrench in my hand and leaned on my desk, looking to my runner. The duel had nearly snapped it in two. When I'd gotten back and fond it intact Mom told me that the very day of our argument at the hospital Yusei had showed up at the house and started working on it. He'd come every day that he didn't have work to work on it. Not speaking much, he'd only told Mom that he was doing it because I would need it. It took him almost the entire time I was still in the hospital and we hadn't spoken a word to each other in the two weeks I'd been back.

As big of an emo jerk as I had acted, Yusei had still believed in me. He still wanted to be my friend but was giving me space. The sentiment behind him saying he was going to be off saving the city, and then immediately going to fix my runner was not lost on me.

I turned to my cellphone and looked at it laying their on the desk. I did nothing for a moment, then picked it up, opening the contacts list and moving to Yusei's number. I didn't call right away, instead staring at the number deep in thought, trying to get over my anger at him...

The phone started beeping, the calendar reminding me I'd taken on an job to help pay my medical bills. After the recent attacks a duel merchandise company had wanted an independent escort for a transport of some equipment and hired me without much of an interview. At the time I had been to caught up in myself to think anything odd of it. They said they wanted someone more elite than common security and a former elite of Duel Academy fit the bill. A job was a job and that day I put off calling Yusei to hop on my runner and head out. I met up with the truck aright before it set out and followed it out on the highway.

Its was a fairly plain truck aside from that crappy logo on the side. I didn't have my motivation or time to dwell on the lazy design before I was called by a familiar number. "

I put it on the screen of my runner, "Jack?"

He was on his runner as well, "Koyou, I know you two don't get along anymore, but have you seen Yusei?"

"Huh?" I raised an eyebrow and snapped back, though I was a bit concerned, "Why would I have seen Yusei?"

"I figured not, but Aki's in a real state. He hasn't shown up where he should and she got some cryptic call that he was in danger."

"I'm on a job right now, but I'll keep an eye out and when I get done here I'll join the search. It won't take me long."

"Really? You're going to help?" Jack was a little stunned.

I wasn't shocked at his reaction. After all, I hadn't been on remotely good terms with them lately. "Yeah. I might not be getting along with Yusei right now, but that doesn't mean... You know what? Nevermind. I'll help, but don't say a word to him about that sentence."

"Koyou..." Jack sighed, "Why do so many people I know deny their-" he stopped, realizing he was talking about Aki while talking to me. He wasn't exactly a sensitive guy, but Jack knew a landmine when he neared one, "Nevermind. Just let me know if you see or hear anything. We've narrowed it down to someone of the East Belt Speedway."

I teased, "Wait... did you just say the East Belt Speedway?"

"Yeah. Why?"

I glanced around, "I'm already there."

Suddenly, Jack's reply was cut off with the notice of a duel challenge. The display showed a large man in a runner styled after an old-timey luxury car, but still (barely) a motorcycle. His helmet was reminiscent of a hired driver. The guy was clearly attacking the transport, but his choice of aesthetics was bewildering. Dressing as a servant while robbing? Did he have a battle-butler fetish or something?

I switched back to the call, "Jack, I've got to go. I've been challenged and something tells me I should take it."

"Is it the Ghost?"

I shook my head, "No, it seems like an oddly dressed bandit, but my gut tells me something fishy is going on here. I'll send you my current position."

"I'll send it to the others. We'll be there soon." Jack received the coordinates, freezing for a moment before replying, "Mina and Aki are already near there... Something_ is_ going on."

I ended the call and hit the button to accept the duel, "You've got yourself a duel!"

The network approved our duel and opened a combat lane, transferring us over to another route and taking me to a course away from the truck. It occurred to me that it must have been the robber's entire objective, so I looked around for his accomplishes. It turned out to be a mild mistake.

The robber spoke up in a deep voice that had a very slight French accent to it. Not much, he was as fluent as a native speaker, but sounded as if he'd spent a lot of time abroad or something, "I activate Speed World 2."

Speed World 2, the new Speed World issued as part of the WRGP proceedings. Which meant this would be a full-on circuit duel and not a race. Also I'd have to use my turbo deck, not the one for standing duels and races, because only Speed Spells were allowed. It put me at a slight disadvantage. Drawing my sword-shaped duel disk I slid it sideways into the dash of my runner, forming the dueling zone. Thanks to damage from the wreck I'd been in, the runner required integration with a separate duel disk to duel, and Yusei had set it to work only with my sword disk. I had to admit it was kinda cool.

"Engarde!" It also let me make bad sword jokes. Slotting my turbo deck I drew my starting hand, but motioned to my opponent, "You may have the first move."

"I appreciate the courtesy. As I draw my blade to match yours," he drew his starting hand and his first draw of the duel, "I will reply with a courtesy as well. My name is Mizoguchi."

"Koyou."

"You seem a good and decent fellow, but I must cut you down regardless. Do not take it personally," pulling a card from his hand he set to work, summoning a samurai with pretty low attack, but it was soon joined by another, a tuner, "I summon Spirit Summit Warrior. Its effect will set free the tuner monster Liberated Rear Warrior."

"Starting off with a synchro right out the gate." I was as impressed as I was curious. He clearly wasn't working with whoever sent the Ghost. They were against synchro.

"I tune my level three Liberated Rear Warrior to my level four Spirit Summit Warrior! When two blades meet, the blade of loyalty will appear here! Answer to me! Synchro Summon! Appear now, Driven Daredevil!" A crazed masked samurai wielding two swords and carrying a spear on its back came forth in a flash with 2400 attack. "I shall end my turn with a face-down card and acquiesce to you."

I eyed the monster and the man. The attack power hinted that it probably had a strong effect, but Mizoguchi's poker face was too firm. He was incredibly disciplined, but that in itself betrayed an aspect of his play-style. He was a precise player. The effect was likely defensive, but I was just making an educated guess, "My move. I have enough speed counters to activate the speed spell Summon Speeder, special summoning a level 4 or lower monster from my hand, but it cannot attack. I summon Gemini Soldier in defense mode. It's a gemini monster, which means it starts as a normal monster but I can spend my normal summon to activate it as an effect monster. I do so." the small warrior arrived in a crouched position as if bowing, but stood when activated, taking on a defensive stance. "I too will end with one face-down card."

The man drew, "Then I shall resume."

"Who do you work for? You're clearly not with the people who deployed that Ghost thing. What's your goal?"

"You will get no information from me, but rest assured that I am indeed no ally to them."

"If you know what's going on then tell me. If you aren't their ally then are you their enemy? Why are you attacking this truck?"

Mizoguchi would reveal no more, he was too loyal.

At the sound of a collision, I turned to see the truck under attack... by Aki. "What the?" She had summoned a plant monster and beating on the back of the truck. "What's going on?"

"Turn and face your opponent, Koyou. I will not strike when my foe's back is turned."

I turned back to Mizoguchi, "Did you lure me away so Aki could attack the truck?"

"Determined Daredevil will attack your Gemini Soldier. Defend yourself!" he sent in his warrior to attack mine, but the strike simply bounced off to no effect. "What?"

An angry-looking samurai appeared on my side of the field, coming to the aid of his friend. I explained, "Once per turn, Gemini Soldier cannot be destroyed by battle. Also, he's a pretty popular guy so whenever he battles a level four of lower gemini monster joins the field from my deck. In this case, Future Samurai."

"Sound play."

"Thanks. Before your battle phase ends I activate the continuous trap Ultimate Offering and pay 500 life to activate its effect, using a normal summon to awaken Future Samurai's effect." I wanted for the face down on his field to be activated, but he didn't use it. It probably wasn't a summon negating trap, "That way, if you set a trap that will stop a summon, it can't hit my Samurai."

"I set a card and end my turn. Let us see this new technique of yours."

I started with a draw, "First off, I activate the speed spell Speed Burial, sending Joan the Just Monarch from my deck to the graveyard. Next, I banish her from the grave to activate Future Samurai's effect and destroy Determined Daredevil!"

"I will not yield!" Mizoguchi reached for the first trap he had set, "I discard a card to activate Destruction Jammer, negating your effect and destroying Future Samurai."

"Crap." I shielded my eyes from the flying shards of my monster on reflex, and looked to my hand, then checked on Aki. She'd gotten the door open. I watched as she got a happy look on her face and recklessly leaped for the truck, coming up short. "AKI!"

To my shock, Yusei appeared from deeper in the truck and grabbed her, pulling her into the truck.

"Wait... Yusei was in the truck?" It was then I noticed another runner speeding towards the truck, an unfamiliar one shaped like a horse. They were in trouble. Forming a reckless plan of my own to end the duel as fast as possible, I acted, "I switch Gemini Soldier to attack mode and attack Determined Daredevil!"

"What? You will only take damage!"

Mizoguchi: 4000 vs Koyou: 1600

The backlash from the attack swept over me, but Gemini Soldier was not destroyed, "I activate his effect, special summoning another Future Samurai from my deck. I'll also discard a card to activate my set Damage Condenser, special summoning Vylon Tetra from my deck!" a little triangular robot, a monster my sister often used, joined the two monsters on the field. "In my second main phase I spend my normal summon activating Future Samurai, and banish the monster I just discarded to use its effect again. You _will_ let me though!"

Future Samurai's effect met no resistance that time, slicing the monster in two and leaving Mizoguchi gawking, "You drove through heedless of damage just to get at my throat?"

"You're in my way!" I shouted, "I tune my level two Vylon Tetra to my level two Gemini Soldier and my level four Future Samurai! Fires of destruction, flames of creation, an irresistible forces denies the advancing doom! Synchro shokan! Charge on through! Black Brutdrago!" the burly black dragon appeared with 3000 attack points and tetra transformed into an amulet that took a place on his chest, "I pay 500 life to activate Tetra's effect and attach it to Black Brutdrago as an equip card. I then set one card and end my turn."

Looking over to the truck, Yusei drove out of the back with Aki precariously on this runner with him, and sped away from the truck a short way before stopping, confronted by the rider on the horse-like runner.

I turned to my opponent as he drew, "Is that your partner?"

"Indeed. I cannot let you go until our business is done."

"You obviously lured me away so Aki could get Yusei out of that truck. IF you aren't with his kidnappers, what business do you have with him?"

Mizoguchi ignored the question, reaching for his other trap, "I activate Call of the Haunted retrieving Liberated Rear Warrior from the grave before I normal summon Warrior of the Setting Sun. When normal summoned while any 'Warrior' monster is on my field, I am allowed to destroy one face up spell or trap card my opponent controls. I know not the effect of Tetra while equipped, but I do not intend to find out!" the amulet shattered, "Next I will once again synchro summon Determined Daredevil, and attack Black Brutdrago!"

"And you complain about me running right into damage!"

The two clashed, but Daredevil remained, instead Black Brutdrago was destroyed, reduced to a pile of lava. I wasn't too shocked, but he explained anyway, "Determined Daredevil cannot be destroyed in battle by monsters with greater attack, and instead destroys them!" Future Samurai suddenly erupted from the remains of Black Brutdrago, "What?"

"When destroyed, Black Brutdrago revives a gemini monster from the grave, and that monster is treated as if it had been second summoned!"

"I-I end my turn."

I drew, glancing over at Yusei, dueling the rider that had confronted them, "I end your monster!" banishing another monster from my grave, I destroyed his monster once more. "I have to get down there right now, and you are in my way! I activate my trap card: Return from the Different Dimension! By paying half my life points I special summon as many of my removed from play monster as I can, but during the end phase they are banished again. I summon Joan the Just Monarch, Phoenix Gearfried, and the monster I just banished a moment ago: Black Brutdrago, who's other effect I now activate!" I discarded a card to destroy his face down.

He stared at my formidable force, "Your entire strategy revolves around not fearing damage, instead using it as a resource to strike at your opponent. Such a vicious style, so much ruthless determination. I commend you. The loss is not so bitter in the face of such tenacity."

He did not concede the duel though. Like a true warrior, if it meant delaying me for even one more instant he would take such a crushing attack, "Kudos to you as well. I don't know what your goals are, but I can't see you as evil. Take this attack with my respect!"

Mizoguchi: 0 vs Koyou: 550

I sped away as the system declared me the winner, pouring on so much speed to get to Yusei that I didn't even notice I was using my powers subconsciously and drifting behind Black Brutdrago like I do in race duels. I watched his duel with the mystery rider intently, and it was intense. Everything either did to the other was answered with a counterstrike. I only caught the last few moves, when the truck from earlier jumped a railing on an overpass ahead of them, on course to crush them.

Almost on pure instinct I jumped off the course I was on, steering Black Brutdrago into the truck and hitting it with such force that it crunched up like a soda can in mid-air before flying away and exploding on collision with the median. I landed my runner and barely maintained control as I skidded to a stop. Yusei and the other rider came to a stop as well, their duel canceled by the system automatically because of the crash.

I noticed Aki had Stardust Dragon in her hand, clearly having intended to use her powers to stop the truck. "Koyou?"

I took off my helmet, breathing heavily. I don't know what made me look towards the mystery rider instead of Aki. Maybe it was fate or maybe I just couldn't look Aki in the face, but the rider was taking off her helmet at the same time I looked at her. And I went blind.

I'm pretty sure there was a flash of light... a very pleasant flash of light. I almost flinched, like one does when a light is turned on suddenly or someone unexpectedly takes your picture. Yet it was as if I was staring into the gates of heaven, I could not peel my eyes away. Soon the light faded. No, it was more like my eyes adjusted to it. What is that? I wondered. It took me a moment to even begin to comprehend what such a thing of god-like majesty could be. It was was a smile, a beautiful, glorious smile. A thousand supernovas could not compare to it. There were beautiful eyes too, a bewitching blue that seemed to invite me on a trip flying through the skies they contained. The face... yes the face, my mind finally gained enough understanding of the sight to process more than just fragments of it. Her features were smooth but hardened despite the fact she was smiling. It was the face of a goddess. Able to see again I noticed she was tall and lithe, muscular but with ample feminine curves. She carried herself like someone that had seen battle, that was at war. After taking that all in, it took me a moment longer to see the world around her again. I noticed her eyes lock to mine and her smile vanish for a moment, and staring into them they briefly revealed something I couldn't identify right away. Something she kept hidden from everyone with her smile... something that I couldn't stop looking at and trying to figure out. A look of mild surprise and then confusion, identical to my own I imagine, crossed her face as she tried to figure me out. I couldn't help but feel drawn to her. There was something about her...

She pulled her gaze away from mine, the entire exchange lasting only an instant. She turned to Yusei, her voice sultry, deep, and teasing. She spoke with a French accent, "Well, I guess it is a draw. I will let you off for now, but my offer to join my team still stands. Especially after I've seen you duel in person. I have to wonder what my next draw would have been though. If I drew a speed spell, I would have one." she placed her hand to her deck to check, but then decided not to, "Then again, perhaps it's more fun to not know." Whipping her hair out of her face she smiled again, "Give my offer some serious thought. I need a strong duelist for the WRGP."

"I'm not interested, Sherry. I already have a team."

"A pity that you won't reconsider, and a pity I don't give up easily." 'Sherry' glanced to the rubble of the truck, and then you me, "Though I might be able to find someone interesting anyway."

Both Yusei and Aki noticed er looking at me and looked my way as well.

She turned her runner around, flashing me a smile that seemed to say 'Chase me.' then gave a wave to the others, "Well, au revoir. We shall see each other again I think." With that, she sped away.

Aki stepped off Yusei's runner and took a few steps closer to me, "Koyou. I-I didn't expect you to..."

I was shocked when I couldn't look at Aki, but for entirely new reasons. For a second I couldn't look at her because I couldn't look away from the way Sherry had gone. It was hard to think of anything but the feeling in my gut that I should chase after her. I didn't understand it. Looking to Aki, my heart ached and I felt the familiar anger returning... but it wasn't as bad... and that made no sense to me...

"Aki... Yusei..." I hesitated, "Um... I'll talk to you later. I have to figure some thing's out. A lot of things actually."

Yusei nodded.

Aki took another step forward, "Koyou, I-"

I revved my runner to ward her off, "I'm not ready Aki... I'm not in my right mind right now. I have to figured some things out."

She started to say something, but then realized she didn't know what to say.

"I've got to find out who I am again." I pulled away and chased after the French twist in my destiny. I didn't say that I also had to figure out what the strange gut feeling was, compelling me to duel her. I mean... how was I supposed to explain that to Aki after all we'd put each other through?

I didn't catch Aki's sad expression or her say quietly, "You make it seem like I ever knew you..."

Next Chapter: Path of Redemption


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Path to Redemption

My runner had always been pretty high performance, and was even faster after I had upgraded it after getting out of the Satellite district, then again got faster when Yusei had fixed it. That and the fact that she wasn't actually leaving the scene with any great speed made catching up to Sherry a fairly easy matter. When I pulled up beside her she looked my way and I caught a grin showing through her helmet, even though it was clearly designed to obscure her face.

She spoke her voice starting off slightly distorted and deep but returning to her true, slightly higher pitch when the face guard of her helmet retracted, "So... you decided to follow me after all. I can spot someone that wants duel from the look in their eye."

"I met your buddy, Mizoguchi."

"I know, I told him to lure you away from the truck."

"Why? If you'd just told me that those guys that hired me had kidnapped Yusei I would have helped free him."

She slowed down and then stopped, then took of her helmet and started putting her hair up again as she waited for me to circle around. On my way back I was momentarily distracted by how beautiful she was, but shoved those kinds of thoughts aside. Certainly she was attractive, and on more than just a physical level... something about her was just magnetic to me..., but that wasn't what I was after. Honestly, I wasn't entirely sure what I was after. I'd just instinctively wanted to chase her, and that feeling in my gut demanded that I challenge her.

When I stopped beside her, she replied to my earlier question, her face serious, "Are you not also curious why those people higher you to guard a truck with him in it?"

"They probably didn't know I knew him."

"There, mon ami, is your answer." again I noticed she was a lot more serious with me than with Yusei. It didn't take me long to realize that she was acting different because she wasn't trying to charm me into joining her team, "How am I to know you are friends with him? I never saw you near him when I was scouting him."

"You've been following Yusei?"

"I have to be careful." Sherry replied frankly, "I have powerful enemies."

I put some pieces together and made an educated guess, "An enemy with an interest in the WRGP. I'd wager the same people that sent the Ghost recently, right?"

"I can only assume. I heard of a mysterious duel hit-man prowling the roads, targeting turbo duelists. With this timing, with those resources, it could could be them."

"Who?"

"I do not know much about them, but they call themselves Yliaster."

I tensed at the familiar name. It was the group that Goodwin said had said was involved with the struggled between Signers and Dark Signers throughout history. Though I'd assumed they were out of the equation with his defeat, it was clear right then that he was just a pawn. They had pretty much put him up to the whole incident six months before.

"I take it from your reaction that you know the name?" Sherry asked, not expecting or needing an answer.

"Yeah. I don't know much more than you likely do. How did you get involved with them?"

She grimaced, "They killed my parents, I want to know why. If they are interested in the WRGP then winning it is the surest path to them."

"So you wanted Yusei to join you."

"So did his kidnappers. The winner of the Fortune Cup and reigning King of Turbo Dueling is an attractive prospect." She got a mischievous look in her eye as she looked at me. Her body language and tone made it clear that she was trying to bait me with that comment.

She didn't need to, "So am I."

"Oh. You want to apply for the position?" she did a deliberately bad job of feigning surprise, again baiting me. Then, however, she got a bit more serious, "I don't just accept anyone. I need to know why you came after me. Why are you here?"

"Common enemy."

"And Yliaster isn't Yusei's enemy?" she cut to a vital point. If I was Yusei's friend, why wasn't I on his team. I got the impression she didn't distrust me, Sherry was just being careful.

"I don't want to be on his team..." I started, realizing my next words shortly before I said them, "I want to beat him. I want to be the one to defeat Yliaster."

Sherry grinned, intrigued, "So you have a rivalry with him? Interesting, but why should I let you join me to slake your ego?"

"Because as much as I want to beat Yusei, I want to beat Yliaster even more. Part of the reason I don't want to be on Yusei's team is so I can beat them without his help." I then answered her next question before she had to ask, "They caused my Dad's death. Before you say anything about my only losing one parent-"

"I would not say such a thing."

"Either way, you lost both your parents, I lost one and watched the other die inside. I watched my mother mourn his death and decline into a broken husk of a person, barely kept alive by the fact she found out she was pregnant. She's getting better, but soon two twins are going to be brought into a world with no father and a mother with half her soul missing."

Sherry didn't say anything, but her expression was grave. I could tell, even with as hard a live as she had lead, Sherry felt sympathy for me. When she looked back up at me and our eyes met I finally made some sense of why I'd felt the need to chase her.

"I want to destroy them as much as you do." I said simply.

We were both unbelievably angry and hurt inside.

She put up a front, putting aside the matter and acting professional, "That doesn't mean you're any use to me. I'll give you the benefit of a duel. Show me what you've got."

"Sure. Pick the format."

She looked at me long and hard, then smiled, "A joust."

I was appropriately confused, "A what?"

"A jousting turbo duel."

"I've never heard of that."

Grinning at the prospect before her, Sherry explained, "It's a type of turbo duel with no Speed World in effect, very similar to a one shot run. Have you heard of that?"

I nodded, "You start on opposing sides of a track and summon one monster, then charge your opponent. With a combination of technique and monster power you use the virtual solid system to strike your opponent. The strike with the most force behind it wins."

"A jousting duel is a turbo duel where instead of running a race or running laps, you run at each other, turning and charging each other when you make attacks with a monster or if you don't attack you turn at the end of the turn. You win by either dropping your opponents life to zero or knocking him off his runner."

"Sounds dangerous."

"So is being on my team. Yliaster is after my life almost constantly. Why do you think I disguise myself as a man with this riding suit?"

True, if you weren't looking at her that hard and she kept her helmet on, you'd think she was a man. The riding suit even had padding to look like a male torso along the front.

"I didn't say I wouldn't do it."

Her smile returned, and she revved her runner, "Come on then. I'll even let you decide who goes first."

"Ladies first."

"How gentlemanly. Don't regret it later." She put on her helmet and revved again, telling me with her body language to get ready to start. When we were both revved up and ready to go, we both shot in opposite directions, somehow in unison, "My draw. I summon Horse of the Floral Knights!" a horse in impressive regalia leaped onto the field in a flurry of rose petals.

"Wow. Nice looking monster and impressive visual effects."

"Thank you, my mother was a card artist and my father a skilled programmer, but I digress. The effect of my monster activates, adding Polymerization to my hand."

"Oh great, here we go."

"Indeed," we were too far away from each other to hear each other, so her voice and face came through the monitor on my runner, "I fuse together the Horse of the Floral Knights on my field with the Sacred Knight's Spearholder in my hand to summon forth Centaur Mina!" an armored lady centaur appeared in a shower of petals, carrying an mighty-looking sword and shield, but only 2200 attack. "After that, I set two cards and then end my turn. Have at you!" she chuckled, the two of us turning to charge each other, even though there was no attack taking place. When she passed, she goaded me on, "What have you to show me?"

"Plenty." I smiled back, "I activate the spell card Polymerization, combining the Phoenix Gearfried and Joan the Just Monarch in my hand to create Superalloy Beast Raptinus!" A patchwork dragon appeared in a crash of thunder.

"So we both fusion summon mythical creatures?" she chuckled again at the continued unison in our actions.

But I wasn't done, "You undersell me. I haven't spent my normal summon. You like flowers? I call out Blazewing Butterfly!" a butterfly with wings of fire ignited onto the field. "Don't worry though, he's not into pollination. He prefers resurrection. I tribute him as part of his effect, which allows me to special summon a different gemini monster from the grave, and that monster is treated as having its effect."

"Gemini monster?"

"More on that later, right now all you need to know is that Phoenix Gearfried's coming from the grave and he's got 2800 attack." I turned my runner around and Sherry did the same and we headed right for each other, "Also, I'm resisting the urge to make a bad pun about making a pass at you as Phoenix Gearfried attacks Centaur Mina!"

Smiling, Sherry steered her runner towards the curved edge of the course, clearly intending to jump her runner off of it and attack with more momentum. It was a common tactics in one shot runs. "Come on!"

I didn't make any move to increase the force of my attack. I knew better. Sherry didn't have any clue as to my true nature, or what was barely contained inside me. If I didn't hold back, I would risk seriously hurting her. Instead, I bade Phoenix Gearfried to lock shields with the leaping centaur and cast it aside, striking after most of the momentum had gone into the initial clash. The virtual solid system sent the feedback to Sherry, the combat damage coming through with only a bit of force. She only wavered a little, but on my screen I saw her look a little surprised at the force of that initial clash, and the feel of that mere 600 damage.

Koyou: 4000 vs Sherry: 3400

Ahead of me a hologram of her triggered trap appeared and I ran through it. "You destroyed my monster in battle, so I can activate Liberty at Last! Two of your monsters are shuffled back into the deck."

I could only gawk as Superalloy Beast Raptinus went back to the extra deck and Phoenix Gearfried went to my deck, "That's not good."

"Oh. You seem to be wide open." Sherry teased.

"I set a card and end my turn. Your move."

She drew, suddenly turned very aggressively in the same motion, despite it not being the battle phase. I activate Monster Reborn, special summoning Centaur Mina!"

Discarding a card, I turned to answer her charge, special summoning a white-haired woman in demonic armor in the same motion, "When my opponent special summons a monster I may discard a card to special summon Chaos Hunter!"

"Good, good. It has 300 more attack than Centaur Mina, but that isn't enough to stop me. I normal summon Fleur Synchron and tune it to Centaur Mina! My body that's faster than the speed of light, the time for Revolution has come! Bring victory into my hands! Synchro Summon! Shine, Chevalier de Fleur!" In a cyclone of blossoms a female knight with a swept-back flower for hair twirled and drew its slender blade as it aimed for Chaos Hunter's throat.

I reached for a trap, "I activate Power Frame!" the trap appeared to intercept the attack, but the attacking blade sliced right through it and took Chaos Hunter's head off, shattering my monster and nicking my life points. "Ah! What the-"

"Once on my turn I can negate the activation of an opponent's spell or trap card and destroy it!"

As I passed I got a better look at her ace monster's face and was surprised... The monster's faceplate kinda resembled Phoenix Gearfried's in a weird coincidence. The effect also had me troubled. Much of my best combinations were trap based. Without traps, I couldn't protect my weaker monsters long enough to activate them unless I could rapidly activated them.

Koyou: 3800 vs Sherry: 3400

"You caught me off guard." I admitted.

She smiled, "No... I caught you _on_ guard. I set one card and end my turn."

I drew, coming up with no immediate solutions, but one that might pay off later, silently, I was glad I'd decided to include more monster types to support the warriors in my deck, "I set a monster, and then one face down card. Turn end."

We turned at the end of my turn since no attack took place and Sherry goaded me again as she passed me, "Are you already done?" she drew to start her turn so that the card would nearly cut my face as she passed. I didn't flinch, which she enjoyed, "I summon Sacred Knight Joan! Letting some distance develop between us before turning, she wheeled around and charged, "Chevalier de Fleur will strike down your set monster, Joan will go after your life points directly!"

I drove unfazed through the first attack, "You destroyed Featherizer, it's effect sends Phoenix Gearfried back to the graveyard and let's me draw a card!" I deliberately drew as if slashing at the other monster as it struck, answering her bravado with my own.

I was surprised when its attack went down until Sherry explained, "Sacred Knight Joan's attack lowers to 1600 when it attacks."

Either way, I grunted under the forces of the strike, but didn't lose control of my runner.

Koyou: 2200 vs Sherry: 3400

She chuckled, "Barely a flinch. You are used to this kind of things I think. I end my turn with one face down."

I drew, studying my hand for a solution. If I didn't get something out quickly, I would lose on her next turn. Thankfully, a solution presented itself in both the draw from Featherizer and the draw at the start of the turn, "I activate the continuous spell card Herculean Power. Since you control monsters and I don't, I can special summon a level 4 or lower gemini from my hand. I choose Future Samurai. Remember when I said I'd tell you about gemini later?

"Go ahead then. I find myself intrigued."

"When first summoned to the field or while in the graveyard, gemini monsters are treated as normal monsters. If you spend another normal summon on them while they are on the field, they gain powerful effects." I activated Future Samurai as I turned to charge, "I awaken and use the effect of Future Samurai, banishing Phoenix Gearfried from the grave to destroy Chevalier de Fleur!"

Future Samurai lashed out, the pressure from the swing cutting through the air, and the much stronger knight, it shattered impressing Sherry, "I suppose you have a follow-up to that?"

"I activate Skill Successor, boosting Future Samurai's attack by 400 until the end phase of this turn! Future Samurai attacks Sacred Angel Joan!"

Joan shattered, Sherry not reacting to the small damage, except to activate a trap, "I will make a Desperate Tag. This trap allows me to special summon a level 4 or lower warrior from my hand whenever a face up monster I control is destroyed in battle. Heed my call, Rose, Warrior of Revenge. Also I discard Marie the Fallen One to activate the effect of Sacred Knight Joan, when it is destroyed I can discard a card to return a level 4 or lower warrior to my hand. I choose Sacred Knight Joan."

"This will end my turn." I set one card.

She started with a draw, "I normal summon Sacred Knight Joan, then activate Rite of the Floral Knight, I banish Fleur Synchron from my grave. For this turn Rose, Warrior of the Revenge is treated as Fleur Synchron and I draw a card." she did so, "I tune my level four 'Fleur Synchron' to my level four Sacred Knight Joan. Shine again, Chevalier de Fleur!" turning and charging Future Samurai, mowing it down.

"Gah!"

Koyou: 1100 vs Sherry: 3400

Sherry smiled, "Few people last this long in a joust with me. You've managed to impress me, but not enough to make me want to recruit you. Yusei was harder than this."

I would have been affected by her goading if I wasn't ready to turn things around.

"I set one card and eagerly await your counter attack."

I drew, setting the plan into motion, "I activate my trap: Birthright, special summon Joan the Just Monarch from the grave." a female knight of my own burst from the ground, "I second summon it, activating her effect automatically." Phoenix Gearfried stepped out of Joan's shadow.

Sherry was stunned, "What? You banished that!"

Whenever she is second summoned, Joan the Just Monarch calls forth a banished warrior type monster." I turned my runner and charged in for a finishing strike, "Phoenix Gearfried attacks Chevalier de Fleur!"

Answering the charge of my monster, Sherry was all smiles, "Does your knight like flowers? I hope so; because I have a present for it: Floral Shield!" a flower bloomed in her monster's hands deflecting Gearfried's strike. "Your attack is negated, and I draw another card."

She looked confident, rightly so considering she had averted my attack. I could get through if I activated an effect, but instead I ended my turn. She drew and made ready to make another pass, "Chevalier de Fleur attacks Joan the Just Monarch!"

I answered her charge, "I activate my trap card."

"Wha-? You don't have-"

"By banishing Skill Successor from my grave, I boost Joan's attack by 800 points! You can't negate traps that aren't on the field!"

"Ah!" Sherry was caught off guard by the sudden impact and her control of her runner wavered as her ace shattered for the second time in the duel. "You are a slippery one."

Koyou: 1100 vs Sherry: 3000

Looking at her hand, she set a card, not using her normal summon. I had to assume she didn't have any monsters in her hand, but she didn't seem too bothered.

I drew, mindful of the trap. I was running a bit thin on cards too, but I had just enough. "It comes down to what you set. If you didn't set the right card, then I win."

"You are awfully confident when I've got so many more life points than you." Sherry smirked, but was shocked as I turned aggressively as she had done earlier in the duel. She answered my charge with a smile, "Come on then!"

"I summon Vylon Tetra, then tune it to my level six Joan the Just Monarch! Fires of destruction, flames of creation, an irresistible force denies the advancing doom!" the standard stars and rings formed a massive black dragon in front of me, which ran forward as if pulling my runner chariot-style.

Sherry saw its attack points and reflexively eyed her trap, but didn't activate it. It wasn't a summon negater, which meant the duel was over.

"Synchro shokan! Charge on through, Black Brutdrago!" I discarded Gemini Soldier, Black Brutdrago inhaling the card and blasting the trap on Sherry's side of he field, "I activate Black Brutdrago's effect, destroying your set card!" It was Mirror Force, "Finish this! Brimstone Bash!"

Brutdrago lifted one arm to swat Sherry, the duelist opening her mouth wide and bracing for the massive impact.

Koyou: 1100 vs Sherry: 0

But the virtual solid hologram vanished, I'd turned off the hologram function of my runner and pulled away so in case my powers caused that to fail I wouldn't accidentally hit her. She hit her brakes and turned to me. "You... beat me... I did get a bad draw at the end there, but I didn't really think I would lose this turn."

"Kinda a lucky shot there."

"No. It wasn't just that... I can't explain it, but..."

"Lady Sherry!" a familiar voice called out, I turned to see Mizoguchi pulling up, "Are you okay?"

She nodded, "Yes, thank you, Mizoguchi. Koyou cut off his duel system before the impact."

"I saw."

Sherry looked at me, "I get the feeling he was holding back a lot in that duel actually. Just a feeling."

I averted my eyes and didn't reply.

She looked at her loyal partner, "I imagine that you lost to him as well, considering he reached us."

"I'm sorry, my lady." the man bowed slightly, "I was not quite prepared for his monsters' effects and his ruthless play."

"Ruthless?"

He bowed slightly again, "My words make it sound more negative than it was. Young Koyou here played conservatively at first, but seeing his comrades in danger he became very fierce, giving not a care to whatever damage he had to take to get through to them."

Sherry was impressed, "Coming from you, praise like that means a lot." she stepped off her runner and walked towards me, so I dismounted as well. Her expression became serious as she looked me over and then looked into my eyes. "I can tell you've got your share of baggage, but honestly we both do. I will welcome you onto the team, but if you make things complicated, I will kick you off of it. Do you understand me?"

"Yes."

"Do not get any funny ideas just because I'm a woman, or because you beat me one time. I'm not looking for a knight in shining armor to come save me."

"I get it." I could understand the warning too. She couldn't be too careful about a guy she didn't know complicating things by getting too attached to her. Better to set up boundaries. "That's fine with me. I'm not interested in complications either."

She extended he hand, "Welcome to Team LeBlanc then."

"That you're last name?"

She nodded.

I took the offered handshake, "Kou. Koyou Kou."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Rose and Thorns

Pouring on the speed, I powered forward as hard as I could, cutting through the wind by coasting behind Black Brutdrago. Sherry was soon right beside me, pushing her runner just as hard and coasting behind her Centaur Mina, which was wielding a spear equip spell to boost its attack by 800 points. My runner, Black Chariot, seemed to roar like a savage beast at the challenge, while Sherry's horse-like runner, Sturm und Drang, replied defiantly with matching speed. We were both going far faster than we should have been. Even on a straight section of speedway made for the purpose, pushing our runners so hard put us at high risk of losing control. Our runners weren't designed to go as fast as we were making them go, but we didn't care. We just wanted to win the racing duel the three of us were having.

I say three, because we'd long left Mizoguchi behind. The only one I was competing with right then was the woman beside me that was flashing a mischievous smile my direction as if challenging me to hang on. She motioned with a bob of her head to the turn in front of me, the one that she had moved to the inside of. She'd gained a positional advantage. Sherry could afford to cut her speed, but if I slowed to turning speed she'd pass me even if she did too. So I shot a smile back to her. As if reading my mind her eyes went wide for a moment, but then she chuckled, accepting the challenge I'd signaled.

We hit the turn at full speed, neither slowing and both struggling to hold onto control without holding on so stiffly that we'd make ourselves lose it. Almost like a choreographed maneuver, I drifted dangerously close to flying off the curved edge of the speedway and she came within the same closeness of slamming into me and knocking me off. Neither happened though. I had a feeling, but didn't know for certain that we made the motions of the turn in perfect sync, as if we'd found and matched each others rhythm through the speed and wind. I somehow poured on even more speed, almost as if through sheer force of will.

In the end we crossed the finish line in unison too. Sherry braked and took off her helmet as soon as she stopped. She was breathing hard and was clearly a little high on the adrenaline. She even said something in French that I didn't understand before composing herself and returning to Japanese, "Are you suicidal, Monsieur Kou?" she laughed, "You certainly ride like it!"

Pulling off my own helmet, I was as winded and disheveled as she was. It didn't stop me from shooting back a teasing line, or capping it with a French honorific like she had, "Well you were right there, driving the same way, Mademoiselle LeBlanc."

"Ha! I hear that word so often, but never as a title like that. Mostly when men that think they are suave try to hit on me."

"Well don't worry, I'm smart enough to know that I'm not suave." I looked down at the screen of my runner, "We tied. How the heck did we manage to cross at the same exact time down to the hundredths of a second?"

"We make a better team than I thought." Sherry quipped back, reaching into her graveyard for the expended cards and looking through them. She held up a Future Samurai, "I appreciate the addition to my deck. This is a useful card and having a gemini in my deck as well will serve us well if you have to sub in for Mizoguchi during the tag tournament."

"I'm still a second stringer?"

Sending me another goading grin, Sherry replied, "You haven't done anything to prove yourself the better partner."

"I beat him. Twice now if you consider he was in this duel and still hasn't caught up to us."

"It's not all about dueling ability Koyou, it's also about trust."

"You don't trust me?"

Sherry shrugged slightly, "I did not say that, but I do not trust you as much as I trust the man that devoted his entire life to raising me and protecting me."

"Taking his spot in those duels is an awfully tall order then."

She took the chance to goad me again, "If you aren't up to the challenge, then you aren't good enough for the spot."

I grinned back, "You enjoy taunting me far too much, Sherry."

"Stop me then." she taunted.

I'll admit, right then I wasn't sure which I wanted to do more: duel her or make out with her. I was also unsure if it was just because I was just that competitive or if I was a masochist without realizing it. Either way, spending time with Sherry was fun. It had been so long since I'd been able to escape my angst, but for some reason I felt comfortable around her and everything just drifted away. Maybe it was the fact that she was somebody new that I had no obligations to, that didn't expect anything but dueling ability from me. Frankly sometimes I felt like dueling was all I had to give. Even then though, I figured it boiled down to all the both reasons and that she wouldn't judge me for my anger. I was running from my problems.

Rather than think about that, I shuffled my deck and kept talking, bringing up the matter I'd told her about shortly after joining the team, "Anyway, do you have any ideas about how to deal with the Machine Emperors yet? We could always not rely on our synchro monsters, but I get the feeling we'll need more than just that to win."

"If this were easy, I'd be worried." Sherry mused, "It is not so easy to cast our synchros aside either. Most duelists these days have built their entire deck around them. If... no _when_ Yliaster brings that Machine Emperor to the WRGP, they _will_ be a dominating force. I've no clue how to handle it without risk of failure, but I'm not going to let that stop me from getting at them."

"You're right. We won't get anywhere by hesitating." I replied, and the sentiment made me think of the deck I'd gained when I was being corrupted by chaos. It was as rough as you'd expect of a deck made of destruction, sorrow, and born in madness, but it was undoubtedly powerful and provided a completely new way to play a gemini deck. The problem was in the whole 'born in madness' part. I doubted... no I knew I wasn't strong enough right then to master it or refine it. Even thinking about using it brought me a tinge of throbbing in my chest and a slight burning feeling to the scars there.

"Something wrong?" Sherry cut into my thoughts, snapping me out of it, "You zoned out for a moment."

"It's nothing," I lied, "I was just thinking that I really need to get stronger."

Sherry nodded, "I think we should split up for now and work on our decks alone. I will contact you in a couple of days to check in. If you find a solution, let me know."

"Right." I started my runner again, "Tell Mizoguchi to run a system check on his runner's computer systems, sounded like it was running hot. Might be a RAM issue."

"Ah, thank you. I will tell him." she smiled, "I didn't know you were an expert."

"Mostly just the computer and software bits. Anyway, I'll see you in a few days. You have my address."

She nodded and we split up. Sherry headed to meet up with Mizoguchi, who had still not caught up to us (I found out later that his runner's RAM had burned out) and I simply went home. I had a lot of thinking and deck tweaking to do.

A few days later.

"Due to the effect of Twin Swords of Flashing Light Tryce, Vylon Sigma gets a second attack."

I looked at my monster staring down the much larger mechanical angel on Mei's side of the field. I'd negated the first attack from the thing but its attack had still grown to 4000 points over the course of our duel. Fortunately, the first attack had been negated by Power Frame, so Gemini Soldier had 4000 attack too. Unfortunately, Mei knew my deck too well and had made sure to come packing two attacks. Normally it wouldn't be an issue but-

"Again, whenever Vylon Sigma declares an attack while it is my only monster, I can equip an equip spell card to it directly from my deck." She turned to face the small class of children watching the duel, "Part of successful special summoning is knowing the proper positioning and timing. Gemini Soldier's effect could have called a level four or lower gemini monster from his deck. One might think it would be good to special summon one in defense, but my Vylon is equipped with a card that grants it the ability to damage through defense. Not summoning anything in this situation forces me to attack through 4000 attack points." most of the children seemed to understand, "Unfortunately for my brother, when I declare my attack I will attach Ax of Despair, boosting Sigma's attack from 4000 to 5000, enough to end the duel."

Koyou: 1000 vs Mei: 1300

We were standing in a place I hadn't been in years, the main duel field of Central Duel Academy, teaching a class of middle school kids about special summoning. I was only there to earn some extra cash and help my sister out. Honestly though, it was as odd a feeling being back in a place when the last time I was there I died. Even if I got better later, it was weird.

"Vylon Sigma attacks Gemini Soldier!" Mei cued the attack and the Ax equipped from her deck, pumping up Sigma to 5000.

I went for my face down, "Since they've seen so many equip spell cards and traps that become equips, perhaps they'd like to see a quick-play spell that equips."

"Oh no." Mei knew what I was about to do. There was only one card that was like that.

"I activate Counter Sword. This quick-play spell card halves the attack of your monster and then attaches to mine. Sigma's attack is cut down to 2500 and, "Gemini Soldier drew a sword far too big for him and lunged at his attacker, "Gemini Soldier's goes up to 4500."

The monsters clashed, Sigma getting cut in half and Mei's life points going down to zero.

Koyou: 1000 vs Mei: 0

My sister laughed off the loss and turned to the class, "And there you have another good lesson: Be careful of face down cards that you haven't figured out yet. Now let's all thank Mr. Kou for his help with our lesson today."

"Thank you, Mr. Kou."

That's all for now kids. Go ahead and get your things together and get ready for the bell."

They group bowed politely to us and hurried off, all except two twins that I knew well ,but hadn't seen in months: Leo and Luna. I was a bit surprised, but it was Luna that came over to talk to me, "Koyou, it's so good to see you again. Thank you for helping with our lesson today."

I knelt down so that I could speak to her at her eye level, "It's no problem. I wasn't doing anything anyway."

"How have you been? We haven't seen you in months and I heard you, Yusei, and Aki got in a huge fight."

I looked away, a bit ashamed of myself, and lied, "I've been fine. That whole argument is complicated, but we won't be mad forever."

"Yusei was just talking about you the other day, how he missed having you around the garage."

I sighed, "I... um."

Luna realized she was stepping on something sensitive, "It's fine. I didn't mean to pry. I'm sure it's none of my business. I do hope you come around more often though."

I smiled, "I'll try, but it's... complicated."

"I have to get to class, but if you ever need to talk..."

"Don't worry yourself, Luna." I patted the sweet little girl on the head. "Get going, kid."

She nodded and walked towards the rest of the class on the other side of the room, "Leo, let's go."

Leo was more hesitant to talk to me, but waved after seeing I wasn't grumpy any more, "See you later, Koyou. That duel was cool."

I waved back, "Thanks."

The two of them left and the students were all soon heading out at the sound of the bell. Mei walked over to me with a smile, "Honestly, I was really surprised you agreed to help me. There I was trying for the hundredth time to get you out of the funk you've been in, and you were already out of it."

"Not really." I shrugged, "I'm still not over what happened and I'm still a bit of a mess inside."

"Compared to how you were?" Mei shook her head, "Not long ago you almost bit Mina's head off for even mentioning Aki. You were yelling at Koishii almost every other sentence."

I hung my head a little, "I was in a bad place alright. I'm sorry. I'm not all better, but I'm trying okay?"

"I'm curious though... what happened? Mom says you just went out for a job one day, came home late, and started helping around the house again. Before then you'd barely left the garage in months. Except for that Ghost thing that is."

Putting my deck back in its case I motioned for Mei to follow me as I headed for the door, then talked as we walked, "I'm not entirely sure why I'm not so torn up inside anymore. Maybe its the fact I have a purpose again."

"Koyou, you've always had a purpose."

"Didn't feel like it... for a while there... actually it hasn't really changed that much, I felt like all I had was dueling and the only reason I had to keep going was crises like this. Honestly, I'm not sure what I'll do after this one."

"Sounds like you should become a Securities officer then."

I shrugged, "I don't know. All I know is for a long time I haven't had any passion left in me. Even my passion for dueling was gone. Now... it feels like I've got it back. Dueling is fun again, even though doom is on the horizon I can't help enjoying my duels with...them." I chose my words carefully. If I'd not caught myself and said 'her' then Mei would naturally have gotten the wrong idea.

"Them?" Mei pressed as we exited the building. "New friends?"

"Actually, I joined a team for the WRGP."

"Not Yusei's?"

I scowled mildly at her, "Do you think I could join up with him if I haven't forgiven him yet?"

"I was hoping you had." Mei frowned a little, "Look, I don't know what happened, or why you are mad at them, but I know they didn't mean whatever it was. They were so torn up about it when you stormed out on them."

"Listen... I know you mean well, but... I just can't put it aside. Like I said to Luna, I won't be mad forever... but the truth is I don't know how I can forgive them."

"What did they even do?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Mei. Please."

She dropped the subject, "Sorry."

The sound of a duel runner crashing at he school's turbo dueling track gave me a subject to change to, "Isn't it a bit late for the course to be running?"

"It's that time of year again."

"Runner licenses?"

She nodded, "Yeah. Someone's probably getting in some after hours practice."

"Hm. Let's make sure nobody's hurt."

"Yeah, we should."

Heading into the course, I stopped at the sight before going too far in. It was Aki, dressed in an unbelievable red and black riding suit, frustrated at having crashed again. The pain in my heart that seeing her looking so good was made worse when I saw her smile at Yusei's approach. It was clear he was teaching her to drive. They looked quite comfortable together too. Like I was never even in their lives and they had long moved passed what had happened.

"Koyou." Mei's voice cut into my thoughts.

I stared at Aki for a time without saying anything, her face, her reactions to things Yusei said, her body language. It was unfamiliar. I side of her I'd never seen, but she showed to Yusei, "Was she always this energetic?"

"Not for a while after the breakup. She's moving... I mean she's getting past everything slowly but she's leading a happy life. I'm just as shocked as you are how much perkier she is now that she's got away from the bad things."

"Including me."

"Koyou-"

"You said it yourself. I shouldn't make a move on her because going to her would make me her crutch... that's what I was to her back then."

"I'm sure that's not the case."

I looked at her, my expression empty, "You want to know why we fought that night and I decked Yusei?"

"Koyou you don't-"

"She called out Yusei's name in bed. We were having sex and she called out my best friend's name instead of mine."

Mei went wide-eyed, and was almost speechless, "Does Yusei know?"

"I don't know." I motioned over at the content pair, who were oblivious to our presence. "You're around them more than me."

"They aren't together. So he probably doesn't-" I cut her off by turning and walking away, she followed, "Koyou, wait... I'm sure he-"

I stopped and shot interrupted her again, "Wasn't trying to take her away from me? That he didn't do anything trying to seduce her? You think I don't know it isn't his fault? That he stole the woman I love from me without even trying? That just makes it hurt more."

"Ko-"

"I can't look at him, Mei. God help me I can't stand to look at him. I don't hate him over Aki loving him and not me, that's just a part of it. I can't stand looking at him because he's everything I've ever wanted to be and has everything I've ever wanted to have. He's got fame and titles he doesn't even care about. He's got friends and Aki adores him. He's the hero that saved the whole dang world and is off to save it again. I can't stand it... and I can't stand that I can't stand it! I can't look at him without hating myself for hating him like this!" I looked back towards the course, "I don't even know where my head is at anymore or how I felt about anything... and you wonder why I can't... I can't forgive them... and I can't forgive myself for not being able to. Look at what my angst has done... look where it's got me: Left behind."

"I-"

I shook my head, "I need some space, Mei... just give me some space okay?"

On that note I walked off, heading off to my duel runner to get some air. As if she knew I needed an escape, Sherry's message to meet again arrived as I reached it. It was time to run from my problems some more, and right then I really needed it.

Next Chapter: Trust

A/N: A short chapter I know, but it just felt right to end it there. As far as my typos in chapters go, I really just want to get these chapter out and to you guys as fast as I can. I'll try to proofread a bit more, but I'm more eager to write more than I really should be. I will go back and fix the earlier chapters later.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: You might notice that I refer to the Three Emperors of Yliaster by their dub names in this, but that's only the aliases they are using while in disguise. I'm actually using their original names for their true names.

Chapter 5: Trust

I followed the instructions in her message and met Sherry in the stairwell of a parking complex. I noticed it was a blind spot with no cameras, so the selection made a lot of sense given the fact she had been on the run from Yliaster's goons for a long time. Since they had control of Sector Securities, that meant they had control over every government-installed camera in the entire city. She couldn't afford to be too open about her activities or let her real face be seen to frequently. Thinking back on it, every time up to that moment that I'd seen her take her helmet off was somewhere cameras would not have a clear look at her.

The case was the same when I spotted her in the stairs. She was so careful she didn't even idle there with her helmet off at the risk of someone coming through while she waited for me. Sherry only took it off, whipping her hair around at the relief of getting it out of the helmet, when I arrived and shut the door behind me. She was in a more serious mood than usual, which again was an odd unison with my own mood.

"Anything?"

I shook my head, "Nothing reliable yet. I was thinking of going with fusion monsters and trap support, but I already told you about the Ghost Convert trap he had."

She nodded, "The ability to negate a trap once per turn is devastating in a turbo duel. I should know, two of my monsters have that power. Which is a mark in our favor actually."

"We can practice and adapt to that trick easily enough." I mused, "I added a monster to my deck that should give me a window during the battle phase. Negating trap cards entirely isn't a good idea for obvious reasons."

"We need traps too after all." she agreed, "Negating our traps to negate a trap that negates our traps is self-defeating."

"Pitch-Black Warwolf seals traps on only one side during the battle phase, so that or something like it could be good."

Sherry continued my train of thought, "After that it is a simple matter of using traps to counter the high attack power. Your Power Frame for instance."

"Not consistent, but worth working in. We'd need to get very specific things in order to make that work. We need more."

"Yes."

"That's all I've got right now though. I pondered summoning multiple monsters of high power and baiting him into using his effect on one synchro, then removing the target before he could take it."

"Yes, making his effect miss would keep its power down for a turn and leave him open. De-Synchro is risky because it puts weaker monsters onto the field, but there's other cards that will work and there's the timing factor."

"Yeah, depends on the other set cards I've got. Being a turbo duel narrows that options there though so De-Synchro isn't the most reliable option for the situation. I was thinking Destruct Potion would work well in my deck. He'll naturally go after my Black Brutdrago, so if I sack it I'll gain 3000 life points, which is a ton in a turbo duel, revive a gemini, and possibly leave Wisel unable to get through to my life if I go with multiple strong monsters. Again, not consistent enough."

"And it does not work as an option for me."

"Yeah, it does." I pulled out two extra copies of Black Brutdrago, "I meant to give you these when I gave you Future Samurai, but it slipped my mind. Even if it gets taken if you destroy it when it's equipped its effect will activate when it hits your grave."

"Bringing out Future Samurai, who'll be ready to cut Wisel down with its effect." Sherry smiled as she went over the possibilities, "If I time it right and destroy the equip when he attacks a monster with more than 2500 attack, I could defeat Wisel in the battle." Looking at me, she gave me kudos, "We play to use the effect against them. You are quite the cunning bastard, Monsieur Kou."

"Thanks. There is a problem though. One common throughout this little talk."

"Consistency."

I nodded, "I had that particular combination in my deck when I fought the Ghost. He caught me off guard sure, but it doesn't change the fact I didn't have the cards to do that in my hand. Even if I'd known about the Machine Emperor I couldn't have done that. All these strategies rely entirely on us being lucky. We need some kind of strategy that doesn't rely on having specific cards in our hands."

Sherry sighed, "Problem is, the only thing that fits that bill is the thing the monster is designed to destroy: synchro summons."

"I'm drawing a blank again, but we've still got a few months to devise more strategies."

"That is true." Sherry went silent for a moment, trying to think some more on it, but in the end looked at me and changed the subject, "Let us put it aside and work on it later. Running around in circles will not help. I need your help with something anyway."

"Mine? Come to think of it, where's Mizoguchi?"

"Fixing his runner. You were right about the RAM issue." Sherry stood up straight and placed her hands on her hips, "So are you going to help me?"

"Of course. What do you need?"

"New RAM." Sherry grinned, "Like I said, you were right about the problem. His burned out and damaged some wires. He's fixing the damage, I'm picking up some more up-to-date hardware. Care to escort a lady as she shops?"

"Sure."

On that note, Sherry made my heart skip a beat for a moment when she started taking off her riding suit. She had a tenancy to do everything in an attractive way, but in her defense it probably wasn't on purpose. Honestly I probably would have found it hot even if she'd done it in the most mannish way imaginable. For some reason I couldn't help but be drawn into even the most mundane of her actions. It was clear we had a strange chemistry, but there was a weird primal element to it that made me all confused inside.

Of course Sherry was fully dressed underneath her riding suit. She was wearing a simple but expensive looking gray sweater with long sleeves. On her lower body were khaki pants. As she pulled a hair tie out of the pocket and put her long hair in a simple pony tail, I looked at the riding suit on the ground. From the look of it I'd though her undershirt would be a red sweater, but the collar visible while she was wearing it was part of the suit.

"A fake undershirt collar?"

She smiled with a small measure of pride, grabbing the suit and cramming it into a bag, "I'm very careful. The disguise lets me roam around on my runner freely and the collar lets me switch to another appearance quickly and more completely. If I'm being chased, I can swiftly switch to a guise wearing no red at all and disappear." the woman pulled on her sweater a little, "Beneath this is a thin black t-shirt, and I'm carrying a ball-cap and a pair of glasses in my pocket. So I can switch more than once if I have to."

"I didn't know there were French ninjas."

Sherry just rolled her eyes and headed to the door.

"Wait." I stopped her, "I get the process, but not the motivation. Why aren't you going out in the riding suit? Won't they spot you with the cameras?"

"You are right. I was a bit careless," Pulling out the cap and the glasses, she placed them on my face, "There you go, now they won't know your face and associate you with me later."

"I wasn't worried about me."

She smiled, "Thank you, but it is a calculated risk. Trust that I know what I'm doing. I've been at this for fifteen years now."

Hearing that detail about her situation, I pressed for more, "They've been chasing you that long? Why?"

She hesitated. Looking away.

"You really don't trust me?"

"It..." she looked back to me, her eyes meeting mine. She got a weird look in her eyes as she realized we were still pretty close together from when she put on the glasses. She stepped back a bit, and if I didn't know any better, I'd have sworn she was a little embarrassed. Sherry didn't look it though, putting on a more hardened expression, "I'm just being careful. My parents were killed over this. They are trying to kill _me_ over this."

I understood what she meant, all of the things she meant. Either she would be telling a traitor too much, or she would be putting not only a friend at even more risk, but his family as well. She was protecting me as much as she was protecting herself. "Fine, okay. I understand. I do want to know more about what I'm getting into here, but I'll trust you."

"Thank you." she smiled briefly, then went back to business, pointing at the stubble I'd let grow on my face, "Let's go. We'll buy you a razor on the way and shave you before you head home. That way your face will change that much more."

I had to laugh at her attention to detail, "You _are_ careful."

Mei's Perspective

When I pulled into the academy that day, I was going over the day's lesson plan in my head and wondering if I'd have time to complete my own work for my college courses and make dinner. Those simple, trivial matters of my daily life were pushed aside when I spotted the limousine outside the academy. I caught a glimpse of a kid in the school uniform go into the school with a crowd of curious kids, but was too late to get a clear look. The driver shut the passenger door and turned my way on his way back to the driver's seat. He had a quite annoyed look on his face.

I pulled up slowly and greeted him, "Hello there. Hard day?"

He looked even more annoyed as he started to look at me but when he actually looked at me the man's face suddenly shifted to shock. It was weird.

"You look like you've just seen a ghost. Is there something on my face?" I checked with my hand.

"N-no. It's just you... resemble someone I used to know."

"Ah. Not bad memories I hope."

He was clearly uncomfortable and trying not to look at me, "Nothing of the sort. May I help you?"

"I was just making polite conversation." I offered a handshake, "I'm Mei Kou, a trainee teacher here."

The man looked at my hand hard, contemplating things. His expression was an enigma. It was like he wasn't sure if he'd lost his mind or not. He did shake my hand though and put on a fake demeanor of professionalism, "Forgive my rudeness. I am Primo, the house butler for Master Lester."

"I didn't know we were getting a transfer student today."

Primo was appropriately confused about that, "Odd, I'm certain the papers went through all the proper channels. The other teachers were aware."

"I probably missed the memo." I smiled, which oddly made Primo gawk a little bit, "I'll take good care of him and make sure he makes friends. I know it can be hard for transfers to fit in. Especially when they arrive in such grandeur."

"Thank you." his face nearly went into a scowl, "The kid's a bit of a brat unfortunately. I pity you honestly. You have a big task in front of you."

"Oh I'm sure he isn't all bad. All spoiled kids get theirs eventually. I'll try to make sure it's gentle, set him up with some real friends. Even at this age, there are kids that will befriend him because he's rich, but I know a good group that aren't like that. They'll be a good influence."

"You're very dedicated." Primo replied.

I shrugged, "The world's not kind, I know that too well. It's why I want to be a teacher. Strength through adversity is a hard lesson of life so why not teach if you've learned it? When the world is a bad place you try to make it better."

Primo seemed taken aback.

I laughed at myself, "There I go being dramatic and rambling again. I'm keeping you from your work."

"It's really no trouble. Um..." the man struggled for words.

"I'll let you go now. I have a busy day ahead of me too."

"Very well." Primo nodded, bowing slightly, "Farewell, Ms. Kou."

"Please, call me Mei. I'm not any older than you."

Primo just nodded awkwardly.

"Well, goodbye." I pulled away and towards the parking lot, thinking of how bizarre his behavior was and wondering who I could have reminded him of. I was pretty sure that was our first meeting.

I didn't hear him mumble his breath moments later, "She even acts the same as her..."

Koyou's Perspective

A few hours later after browsing a few stores, we came out of a reasonably priced runner shop with the parts Mizoguchi needed. Sherry had a tired expression on her face, but it was tempered by a look that made it clear she was enjoying herself, "There are so many more part stores in this city and such a wide selection compared to the other places I have been."

"Well it is the center of the turbo dueling scene these days. A lot of them are new actually. The WRGP brought in a lot of business."

"Is New Domino City always this lively?" she motioned at the crowds, "There's so much energy in this city. There's a feeling of excitement no matter where you go. The ads promoted it as a city of the future and I can see why."

"It's been like that for a while, but it got really big and about seven months ago."

"After the 'Dark Signer' crisis?" she shot a look at me as if teasing me with this revelation.

"You know about that?"

"I imagine a lot of people looked past the cover-ups and saw through to the truth of the matter. I did not trust the explanations Securities gave for the strange events and did some research. Yusei's group are Signers are they? And you used to be one of them?"

"Yeah."

"I won't pry into what happened, but you brought up trust earlier," She looked firmly at me, "when you weren't telling me everything either."

"I told you everything that wasn't personal. I only kept the Signer thing from you because it's not something to spread around without their consent. That and I wasn't even sure you'd believe the supernatural stuff, so I just kept it to mechanics."

Sherry looked forward again and we kept walking, "We can just leave it be for now. I'm not sure I do buy it, but I'll hear you out later when you tell me about it."

"It's a bit of a long, crazy story."

"I imagine so. Which means it is even more so something for another time and place."

"I appreciate it." I sighed, "You do know I wasn't hiding it out of maliciousness right? I'm on your side, but telling you without asking them first..."

"I get it. You're loyal to your comrades, even if you aren't getting along well with them anymore."

"It's not that I don't trust you."

She turned and smiled, our eyes meeting mostly by chance, "I said I get it. I was letting you know that I knew about it mostly because I did not want to hide it. If we are going to be a team we should be more open about these things. That is all I wanted to get across."

I averted my eyes and nodded. The matter settled, we kept walking. A few minutes later I spotted a store window display selling formal wear. There was a simple but elegant, strapless white dress there that immediately struck me as something that would look great on Sherry. "This might be a bit out of left field, but now that I think about it, are you going to the WRGP party?"

She turned and noticed the dress that I was looking at. Her expression confused me, because she looked at it with a kind of depressed, longing look on her face. One of her hands clenching her other arm as if she was sad about it, "You have pretty good taste... but that wouldn't suit me. I haven't worn a dress in years."

"Really? I mean you're a little blunt, but you seen like the type that would really enjoy dressing up."

She looked at me, then back to the dress, smirking through her sadness a bit, "Going to the party hosted by our enemies? You are suicidal, Monsieur Kou."

"If it lured them out we'd have a bunch of witnesses to keep them from trying anything fishy. I think it's-"

"I did not say I wasn't going to do it." She grinned full out, "Do you have a tuxedo, Monsieur Kou?"

"I've got a suit, but I don't think it's formal enough."

"Then I will buy one when I get myself a dress, but now isn't the time."

"We're right outside a store with a really nice dress."

"There's also a couple of thugs that have been following us from a distance for the past half hour."

I was surprised, but smart enough to not look around, "Where are they?"

"Just follow me into that alley. I assume you can fight at least a bit?"

"Yeah, I took some courses back in high school and my Dad taught me a little street fighting."

She raised an eyebrow at that last part, "Your father must have been pretty interesting."

"You have no idea."

"Take the one on the right when we're in the alley. Knock him out, I'll question the other one."

I nodded and we advanced into the alley, once we were a short ways in, Sherry motioned for me to hide behind a dumpster. She kept going and stopped a bit further down to act as bait. Once the two had moved just past where I was, I rushed the one I'd been told to. He was a man in casual dress and a bearing a criminal marker on his face. As I bull rushed him off balance and drove my elbow into his chin as I drove him into the wall I noted he seemed pretty well off financially for a criminal type. He was clean and his clothes were new and trendy. So new he must have just bought them that day. He was also unconscious already from the elbow strike slamming the back of his head into the wall.

Sherry had taken a hold on her target just as easily, but with a lot more technique. I was honestly shocked when I noticed she wasn't just pinning him to the wall. She was pinning him to the wall several inches off the ground. "Good work Koyou. Keep an eye out while I have a little talk with my friend here."

"You're stronger than you look."

"You expected me to have not built up muscle having been on the run for fifteen years?"

"Good point."

The punk grunted in pain and yelled a complaint, "You crazing bitch, what are you doing?"

Sherry pulled him back off the wall and slammed him into it again, "Why are you following us? Who sent you?"

"Go screw yourself! I could help if you want, sweet thing."

I winced, guessing at what was coming, "Shouldn't have said that."

"ARGGGH! MY ARM! AGH! YOU'RE BREAKING MY ARM!"

"Yep, shouldn't have said that."

Sherry raised her voice, "Answer me! Who sent you? Was it Yliaster?"

"What the hell is Yliaster?"

A metallic thud rang out as Sherry slammed his head forcefully into a dumpster, "Who hired you then? What did they hire you to do?"

"Agh! We were just supposed to follow you back to your place and send the address to a number. I don't know the guy who hired us, he paid good money for there to be no questions."

"You fucking scum!" Sherry slammed him into the wall again, "Give me the number!"

"It's in my phone! Calm the hell down, woman!"

Eyes full of fury, Sherry rammed his face mercilessly into the dumpster, so hard I wouldn't have been surprised if it killed him. He was still breathing somehow though as she rummaged through the unconscious man's pockets. The look in her eyes was familiar to me. I'd seen hints of the pain inside her, sometimes more intensely than others, but right then I could see just how similar we really were.

Next Chapter: Torment


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Wow, this chapter turned out far different than I intended it to and far better than I thought it would end up being. Fixes some pacing trouble I was having too. I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 6: Torment

"Koyou!"

I jumped slightly as I snapped sharply out of the nightmare I was having. It took me a moment to remember where I was: sitting around the dining room table with Mom, Koishii, and Mei. Breakfast was in front of us. Blueberry pancakes stacked three high, two link sausages, an egg, and a tall glass of orange juice. It was pretty good by most people's standards, and I suppose we were lucky that if Koishii were only going to know one kind of breakfast it was one of that caliber. Honestly though-

"You haven't sat down for breakfast with the family in months and you fall asleep at the table?" Koishii griped at me.

Mom gave a weak smile, "Go easy on him, Koishii, he's been working late recently."

I took a serious look at my mother for the first time in a long while. She was very very pregnant of course, being seven months along with twins by then, but lacked the rumored glow that pregnant women were supposed to have. I knew her well enough to tell that her smile was genuine, but rimmed with worry. She was happy I was with them again and acting more like myself, but she knew enough from her plentiful experience that I wasn't all the way out of my depression. Looking at her then, she didn't look much like the woman I remembered. Mom had always looked amazingly young for her age, but right then she looked every bit her age, if not older.

When she noticed my concern, her smile brightened a little, "I'm fine Koyou."

Mei and Koishii glanced at me as if wanting to see if the moody emo guy was actually showing concern for someone other than himself, but didn't say anything.

Mom continued, "You don't look like you had much sleep, or any sound sleep for that matter. Are you doing okay?"

I thought back, recalling the dream I'd had. It had been about Aki. It was like seeing as scene from the past on one of the occasions we started making out and it escalated into sex. Taking each others clothes off, we were really getting into it... but then she saw the scars on my torso and recoiled... pushing me away with a face contorted in revulsion and then puking at the sight of my tortured body. I'd had the same nightmare many times, even back when we were still dating. It was one reason I never let her take off my shirt. Even on that night, the first night in a long time that I'd been brave enough to be intimate with her and risk her seeing my scars, I'd kept her hands away from my shirt. The dream had been different this time though... and of course it bothered me that much more.

"I'm fine. Just bad dreams." I waved it off and dug in to my breakfast.

"You should talk about those." Mom said simply and knowingly, "You'd feel a lot better if you didn't try to take on all your angst alone."

"Can we just have breakfast without focusing on how much of an asshole I've been?"

"Koyou-" Mei scowled at my getting abrasive with our mother.

Who cut her off, "I wasn't doing that. I'm just trying to be your mother, that's all. I'd never judge you."

I sighed, "I know... I didn't mean to snap at you."

Mom gave me a smile to try and ease my mind, "I know. Just keep in mind that we're here for you." Looking to my sisters as if to warn them away from saying anything she closed the topic with, "Unless you want to talk about it, let's just have a nice breakfast like you said."

"Thank you." I took another bite, and moments later tried to end the awkward silence, "How've you been lately?" I hadn't aimed it at anyone in particular. I was just fishing for a topic that wasn't me.

Mei was the one to bite, "Got a transfer student the other day. He's got an unusually large ego for a middle school kid. I thought his butler was exaggerating but it turns out he was underselling it."

Mom raised an eyebrow at that, "Lester not getting along with the class?"

"I'm only there for a few hours a day, Mom, but he seems to be getting along fine. Oddly Leo doesn't seem to like him at all though and doesn't want Luna near him."

"Probably just being protective of his sister." I stated simply.

Mei looked at me for a second, mulling on our sibling relationship before avoiding the topic and staying on the original one, "I don't know. Something seems off about that kid and his butler."

Mom played general, just like you'd expect from a mother and the school's principal, "Keep an eye on him. Over the years I've learned that you should never ignore your gut feelings."

Mei nodded, then shifted topics, "Speaking of which, how was your checkup?"

Chewing a bite of her breakfast, Mom took her time replying, "Dr. Myer put me on a different supplement, said it should improve my problems with my energy level."

"That's good. No offense, but you've been looking very pale lately."

"It's my age and that I'm carrying twins. Twins are hard enough for young women, and I'm nearly fifty now." looking my way, she saw the look of guilt on my face, "I'm fine Koyou, stop kicking yourself over every little thing. You haven't done anything wrong." she looked back to Mei, "You too. You keep living with Crow and don't worry about me. I'm doing fine."

Mei looked a bit ashamed of herself, "I shouldn't have moved out."

"I said I'm fine. I was in perfect health then and this is typical health stuff now. I've got enough people looking after me."

I was frank about it, "Mom, nobody in this family is ever telling the truth when they say they are fine. You should know that by now. You're not fine. I'm-"

She looked firmly at me, her familiar 'listen to your mother' look being a welcome sight actually, "Koyou, I'm doing fine and I mean that. I'm not as healthy as I could be, but I'm making do. You don't need to do anything for me or feel like you didn't do something when you should have. I will be fine. This isn't a big deal."

"I'm just worried about you."

Mei and Koishii looked at me again, as if I'd said something weird and unlike me.

Mom ignored them "And I'm glad, even though I wish you'd just deal with your own troubles and not burden yourself with my minor ones too."

Mei and Koishii were still looking at me. It felt like they had a thousand questions they wanted to ask and I'll admit that right then it felt like I was getting judged for my attitude problems. I'll also admit they were perfectly entitled. Didn't make it any less awkward for me sitting there. Thankfully, the sound of a runner and moments later a knock at the door broke the tension.

"Who could that be?" Mom set her fork down and wiped her mouth with her napkin, "Mei did you invite Crow for breakfast?"

"No."

Everyone but me and Koishii glanced at Koishii, who shrugged. She was looking at me, as was everyone else after they found out it wasn't for her. I froze under the scrutiny.

Mom sighed and looked around the table, "Am I going to have to get the door?"

"Sorry." the rest of us got up in unison and stopped at the clamor we'd just caused, but I was the first to keep moving, "I'll get it."

Walking to the front door, I noticed Mei following me. I ignored her curiosity and looked through the peep hole in the door. "Sherry?"

Mei was surprised, "A girl?" when the door opened and she saw Sherry standing there (sporting her regular riding suit sans helmet) my sister was all the more confused, "A good looking girl."

"Thank you." Sherry smiled politely and bowed slightly. She then turned to offer me a hanger with something hanging on it in a protective bag, "You need this for later. You are lucky Mizoguchi can guess clothing size from forty paces. You forgot to give me your measurements."

I checked the tag, "Yeah... tell him he hasn't lost his touch." It was then that I noticed the brand... Let's just say it was an expensive one, "Honestly I didn't think you were serious about buying me a tuxedo."

Mom came into the foyer from the kitchen, "Koyou, who's this?"

Mei crossed her arms, looking Sherry up and down disapprovingly, "'Sherry' apparently."

Mom suddenly got that look on her face. You know the one I'm talking about. That look mothers get when their kid has got themselves a girlfriend or boyfriend. Like its something adorable and she wants to gossip to everyone she knows about her son's new girl.

I put a stop to that right away, "It's not what you're thinking."

"Suuure." Mei raised her eyebrow skeptically, "Girl bought you a designer tuxedo 'for later' and 'it isn't like that'."

"Whoa, whoa. It's for the WRGP party in a few days."

Sherry nodded, "He is telling you the truth. We are just teammates."

Mei was still not convinced, and clearly didn't have a good impression of Sherry, "Right... teammates." her displeasure shifted to me, "You joined the WRGP and not with Team 5D's? So what, now I've got to choose whether to cheer for my boyfriend or my brother? This better not be-"

"Mei." Mom shut her down, "This isn't the time for that. We have a guest."

Sherry shook her head apologetically, "I didn't mean to intrude."

Mei glared at her, "Maybe you shouldn't have come during breakfast time then."

Mom sighed and grabbed Mei's arm, "Excuse us..., Sherry was it?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Mom pulled a protesting Mei into the other room.

I turned to my teammate, "Sorry about that. That's just my sister being..."

The sound of my mother sharply giving my sister a single spank echoed from the adjoining room, "OW!" I'm a grown woman, Mom!"

"Act like it then and stop being so rude."

I sighed, my hand covering my face in embarrassment, "...overprotective." when I looked back at Sherry, her expression seemed equally amused and lonely. After all, the only family she had was Mizoguchi, and her life probably hadn't been quite so sitcom-esque. "Would you like to come in?"

Sherry nodded, changing the subject away from family, "Did you know this entire street is a blind spot? None of the cameras on this street point towards the house."

Once she was inside, I closed the door behind her and draped my tux over a chair, "Yeah, I guess the people who put them in were so focused on covering the school across the street they forgot to cover this side of the road."

"Hm." Sherry looked around the foyer, "You have a nice home. Very cozy."

"Yeah... I'm luckier than I remembered."

"Is your mother okay?" Sherry was clearly wondering about why I'd painted my home life much darker than it appeared.

"Whatever Koyou told you I'm fine." Mom answered, walking slowly back into the room, "Though he probably wasn't lying. What _did_ he tell you?"

"I'd rather not..."

"Ah. He talked about his father's death then." Mom nodded knowingly, "He was telling you the truth then." she looked at me, as if saying her next words at much for my benefit as Sherry's, "You aren't ever totally fine when you lose someone you love that much, but I'm doing my best. I'll admit I was more than just _half_ dead inside for a while, but seeing my kids getting on with their lives and living well does me wonders." she turned back to Sherry, "Thank you for your help with that."

Sherry tensed, looking uncharacteristically off her guard, "I didn't..."

I shook my head, "Mom, I told you it isn't-"

Mom laughed, "Yeah, I know, Koyou. It doesn't change the fact that you were a mess, struggling for a direction and suddenly you're joining tournaments and going to parties with new friends." Mom's smile got even brighter, "Really, Sherry, thank you even if you only played just a small part in that."

Sherry froze as Mom hugged her, her face a mix of lots of emotions. When she was let go, the woman was clearly rattled. She even looked like she was about to cry. Her voiced cracked a little, "I-I should go."

"Nonsense, stay for breakfast. We're having blueberry pancakes. There's enough for you too."

Sherry glanced at me, her expression unreadable, and she moved slowly and stiffly towards the door. She fumbled slightly over her words replying to my mother, "I shouldn't... I-I have things I need to do... I-" opening the door she gave up the pretense of acting normal and walked out at a brisk pace, "I'll see you later. Sorry for intruding."

I went after her, "Sherry!" but she was already on her runner and was speeding off by the time I reached her.

I promptly marched back towards the house on the way to the garage to get my runner. Mei had come out and chimed in, "You must have a thing for chicks with issu-"

I decked her, not caring that she was a woman, passing Mom on the way by. I barely heard her say to Mei, "You kind of deserved that."

"Yeah. I was out of line. Did he have to go all out though? Ow."

Moments later I was booking it down the highway faster than I should have been going, and caught up to Sherry at a stop light. She noticed me pulling up beside her and looked down at her anguished reflection in her runner's display. It didn't take long for her face to change to a very familiar fury or for her to snap at me, "What did you follow me? I have things to do."

I suddenly realized that must have been exactly what I looked like when I snapped at people not long before I met Sherry. I was as disturbed at facing a mirror like that as you'd imagine, "You heard her, I didn't lie to you. What you saw back there was us finally starting to get all the pieces back together."

"Good for you."

I was firmer as I cut through to what I knew was really bothering her, "I was just as out of place in that coziness as you were. Right before you knocked I was floundering and my sisters were looking at me like my being there was something freakishly abnormal. I've been a wreck, Sherry. I wasn't blowing anything out of proportion when I said Yliaster had ruined my life. I want revenge just as much as you do. I want to help you."

She turned sharply to look me in the eyes. On the way she'd clearly intended to be angry some more, but when our eyes met I saw through to the hurt inside her as her mind likely was rolling through memories of her own destroyed family. Seeing me having a nice family after I'd acted like I was just like her probably felt like a betrayal to her. The moment my gaze cut through her thin veil of anger, she quivered slightly as if she could feel it. The shudder was almost undetectable. Her eyes were rimmed with barely visible tears and her face was still trying to act like anger was all she felt, "Prove it. Show me... show me everything."

I knew what she wanted, "Sherry-"

"Duel me and don't hold back at all. Show me all that pain and power of yours."

"You don't know what your asking... I might not be able to...," looking into her eyes, I could tell I didn't have any choice. If I didn't do it, she wouldn't trust me. She wouldn't be able to accept that I was just like her. Everything would be over. I sighed, "Fine... you want me to cut loose and bare it all. Then I will."

"A jousting duel. Just like our first duel."

"It's not like I can say no."

Sherry went into motion again, sending in the request for a combat lane through the system. It as a approved and we both moved on to the battleground side by side. It was Sherry that turned 180 degrees and sped the opposite direction, readying for the first charge. "Go first."

Koyou: 4000 vs Sherry: 4000

I reached for the deck corrupted by chaos, demanding it behave as I slotted it in place on my runner, then drew my starting hand. My heart was heavy. My marks ached. Frustration boiled in me as a dark part of myself began having unspeakably violent thoughts and another part dismayed that those thoughts could possibly come from me, "If you want it, take it! I activate the field spell Chaos Zone!"

The course was surrounded my a holographic field of stars mapped across a column of grid lines. Sherry looked around, never having seen the card before, "What is this?"

"What you wanted to see." I pulled another card from my hand. "I activate the continuous spell card Dimensional Fissure. While this card is face up on the field every monster sent to the graveyard is banished instead."

Sherry was of course confused, "That destroys everything your deck is built around."

I ignored her, "I set one card face down and then set a monster. Turn end."

We turned and charged at each other, saying nothing as we passed but Sherry once again drew aggressively, nearly cutting my face with the card. I could feel her anger and torment in the motion, "My move. I normal summon Horse of the Floral Knights. You know its effect by now. It adds Sacred Knight Spearholder to my hand from my deck. Next I cast Polymerization, combining Spearholder with Horse of the Floral Knights to call forth Centaur Mina!" we both turned sharply and charged again, Sherry gunning her runner for more speed and jumping off the curves of the course, trying to add every bit of force possible to the attack of her monster, "Centaur Mina attacks your set monster!"

My monster shattered and the force didn't affect me even slightly, "You destroyed Dual Gardna." the remains of the monster were yanked into the field spell, ripping a hole in it that became a white vortex.

"What was that?" Sherry stared in bewilderment.

"Whenever a creature is banished I may add a Chaos counter to Chaos Zone."

"You've never used this deck against me before, Koyou."

"You asked to see my anger and pain. This deck was born out of that. Why would I ever use it on you?"

Sherry looked at me for a moment, then moved on with her turn, "I set two cards and then end my turn."

I drew, then got underway, "I summon Tuned Swordsman then activate my trap card Ultimate Offering, paying 500 life points for an extra normal summon. I summon Gemini Scorpion and its effect activates, special summoning Evocator Chevalier from my hand, I then pay another 500 to activate Tuned Swordsman, making it a tuner monster. I tune my level four Tuned Swordsman to my level four Evocator Chevalier! Fires of destruction, flames of creation, an irresistible force denies the advancing doom!" I tensed, grabbing my chest suddenly as the burning intensified. Two more holes ripped in the grid as the monster left the field. "Synchro summon! Charge on through!"

My head started throbbing, and body turned my runner to face Sherry on its own. As she turned to answer my charge my vision went strange, sort of how it had when I lost control to chaos months before. I gritted my teeth and refused to yield. I refused to hurt Sherry. With that resolve my vision suddenly went back to normal and beyond, sharpening to the point where I could almost see through her. For an instant, I thought I saw something in the air, a card... then I saw a flash of something that looked like Chevalier de Fleur, but I shook it off. Glancing down at my display... for some reason my extra deck had four extra cards in it, but before I could check what they were the count returned to normal.

I gathered my wits again and completed the synchro summon before more things went wrong, "Black Brutdrago!" Hesitantly I reached up and called on the effect of Chaos Zone, "Once per turn I can remove four or more counters from Chaos Zone and special summon a banished monster with that level, I special summon Tuned Swordsman," the white vortexes became beams of light that poured down into my hand in the shape of a card, which I played to summon Tuned Swordsman, "and spend 500 more life points to activate it once again and once again tune it to a level four monster!" Two new holes appeared.

A familiar voice in my head taunted me, "Summon them... summon the dark dragons."

I refused, instead reaching for something else, "Assemble, cogs of industry! Spurn your rejection and rain the ruins with destruction! Synchro shokan! Grind them to a halt, Scrap Dragon!" a dragon made of rejected mechanical parts assembled from thin air.

I hit my brakes, screeching to a stop before reaching Sherry, who saw me stop and slowed and came up beside me, "What are you doing?"

"I activate the effect of Scrap Dragon, destroying one card on my side of the field to destroy one card of your side. I chose Ultimate Offering and Centaur Mina. Your set card is Liberty at Last, so you can't stop my attacks now. I win." I promptly shut off the holographic systems and the attacks went through uncontested and unrepresented. I then unceremoniously cut my duel system and put away my deck.

Sherry was furious, "That wasn't... you weren't supposed to hold back! You said you'd hit me with everything you had!"

"I did. I just won in two turns my life points be damned. I took 1500 points of damage to do that."

"What about showing me your anger and pain?"

I looked at her firmly, and spoke with equal insistence, "Look into my eyes when I tell you this so that you'll understand how serious I am: I'm _never_ going to use that against you. I'm _tired_ of hurting my friends with my pain. I'll show you all that anger and torment when we go against Yliaster. Got it?"

Sherry exhaled deeply and didn't speak for a moment. When she was done collecting herself, she was her old self again, "I got it. What I do not get is what the hell was that deck you just used."

I looked away. "I explained that... sort of."

Considering whether or not to press the issue, Sherry decided to just nod, "Tell me more about it when you get around to explaining the Signer business." She noticed something, and pointed to my arm.

My Signer mark was faintly glowing, and dimmed as the excitement of the situation left my system. I hadn't bothered to look at it in months... but I'd still subconsciously called on the bond it represented when I was struggling against chaos.

Sherry watched it fading out, "I think I might actually buy the story now."

I just kept staring at it... longing for the old days and and trying to put aside negative feelings I just couldn't shake that were rolling around in my head, "I think I've got some unfinished business to deal with... I should talk to them."

Sherry didn't say anything, but looking in her eyes right then I felt like she was being supportive in her own way. I could feel things shifting inside me and knew that a lot of things would need to be cleared up soon. Things couldn't just keep going the way they were. I had been running away from my issues and was running out of road. I'd started running from Sherry too.

Unfortunately, things rarely ever get simpler when I want them to.

Next Chapter: Clarity and Complication

A/N: Things start picking up next chapter as the plot shifts up a gear. I plan on a long chapter next time, so don't expect the absurdly fast update speed you've been getting. It will take longer to get done this time, but that's not saying much considering I've been updating twice a day these past few days lol.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: This chapter was getting really, really long so I ended up cutting it into two parts. I guess I really wasn't kidding when I said the next chapter would be long lol.

Chapter 7: A Night to Remember Part One: Clarity

The next day I was working on my deck when the door connecting my garage apartment to the house was knocked out and an angry Crow stormed through it. It didn't take a genius to figure out what it was about, especially when Mei was right on his heels trying to stop him. In fact, I would have been a bit disappointed if the guy hadn't stormed in at some point after I'd punched my sister in the face. He was her boyfriend after all. That was part of his 'job'.

"Where the hell do you get off, Koyou? Yusei's one thing, but punching my girlfriend?"

Mei kept grabbing at his arms whenever he made a move that looked like he was going to grab or swing at me, "Crow, I told you it was my fault."

"Whatever the reason he has no right to punch a girl! Especially mine!"

"Crow just calm down and let me explain the situation!"

Crow glared at me, "I want to hear it from him. What the hell possessed you to punch her in the face?"

Mei cut me off, "Crow, I crossed a line I shouldn't have. I said something-"

"Whatever you said it- Oof!" Crow interrupted her, but he was promptly cut off by Mei giving him a back-handed blow to the gut. Didn't look like it hurt that much given the angle, but it made him shut up.

So Mei continued, "Like I was trying to say: I said something really unforgivable that won't repeat. I deserved it. Both of us already apologized and he already let me punch him back." she shot me a half-serious glare, "Though I had the courtesy to not bruise the face when the WRGP party is coming up."

Crow sighed, "He didn't have to punch you, I don't care what you said. He-"

Mei shot him one of her trademark 'You better listen to me, Boy' scowls and he reflexively tensed and swallowed hard.

I sighed, shaking my head at the scene, "Geez, I'd forgotten how much of a comedy act this family can be." I held my hands out to my sides, "I'm sorry I hit her, but woman or not she deserved it. We already dealt with it before you showed up; but go ahead and hit me, Crow, if it will make you feel better."

Mei reiterated that look from a moment before, "Yeah, feel free, but I'll pop you one if you do."

Crow sighed hard, "Fine, Mei. I'll take your word for it. If you say it's fine then it's fine." he looked at me sternly, "Don't do it again though."

"I never intended to do it the first time."

"Hmph." Mei scoffed, rolling her eyes in a sisterly way, "First time? I can't count the number of times we've gotten into fist fights over the years."

I laughed at the reminder, "Yeah, Crow, now that I think about it I stopped treating her like a girl the third time she started beating the crap out of me. When was that?"

"Fifth grade." Mei smiled, and clapped a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder, "I was a bit of a hooligan when I was little."

It was Crow's turn to roll his eyes, "Why am I not surprised? Anyway, if it's like that then I'm sorry for rushing in. I didn't think brothers and sisters had fights like that too."

Mei chuckled, "They probably don't, I'm just a very weird sister."

"Tell me about it."

She shot another half-serious glare at me, then changed topics, "Anyway, I'll let you two catch up. I know this was an odd way to start it off bu you two haven't gotten together for a while."

Crow glanced my way, recalling the falling out I'd had with his other friends and my previous attitude; but he didn't saw anything. He was probably waiting to see if I'd be against it.

I wasn't, "I won't keep him long. I know you like your time with him."

"Don't tease, Koyou, or I will fight you with fists." she jabbed and made her way out of the room, closing the door behind her.

I put the deck I had been working on away and grabbed my tools. I wasn't sure what to say, so I wanted for Crow to break the ice.

"Yeah, again I'm sorry about that."

"No problem, I would have been upset if you hadn't been mad about it. You're her boyfriend after all."

Crow chuckled, "Honestly sometimes it feels like I'm the girlfriend. Knowing her, I should have known she was the type to get into fist-fights with her brother."

"Ha-ha-ha."

"How've you been man? I haven't talked to you since that time I came over to try and smooth things over. You weren't anywhere near this friendly."

"Sorry about that. I was in a bad place. Not entirely out of it, but honestly I've been acting emo so long I'm starting to wonder if it was my default personality all along."

Crow chuckled only slightly at my mocking myself, "Either way it's good to see you in a better mood. Mei... actually all of us were really worried about you. Well, Jack is really pissed at you, but that's just Jack being Jack."

I decided to deal with the small elephant in the room, "Just to get it out of the way, I haven't gotten over the argument yet. So don't get your hopes up. I don't have any problems with the rest of you guys but-"

"What the hell even happened? None of you will talk about it with the rest of us. Just one night you cane into the garage, decked Yusei like you wanted his head gone and drove out. Aki came in crying her eyes out and calling out after you. She was a wreck, man."

"You should just stay out of it, Crow. It's just between Aki, Yusei, and me."

"I know that, but you can't expect me to just sit back after seeing my friends like that."

"They seemed fine the last time I saw them."

"When was that?"

I looked at him curiously, "Are they not fine?"

"They're living their lives. I mean, Aki was a mess for a long time but she eventually started getting past it. Yusei's being Yusei so it's hard to tell with him. I know they both miss you though."

I looked away, staring into nothing, "Listen... I'm not ready to put it behind me yet and I'm still angry about it, but tell Yusei..." I paused, not sure of how to phrase it.

"Tell him what?"

"Just tell him we'll see each other soon. Alright?"

"What about Aki?"

"Don't tell her anything. As far as she's concerned you didn't talk to me at all."

"Koyou-"

"I don't have anything to say to her and I don't want anything set in motion there. I'm not as mad as was, but that really isn't saying much."

"You shouldn't just leave it hanging like this."

"I know... I just can't deal with it right now."

There was an awkward silence as Crow mulled it over, then answered, "Fine. I'm staying out of it, but I hope you can get your act the rest of the way together soon. We could really use you on the team again with what's going on. The WRGP won't be the same without you."

Apparently, Mei hadn't told anyone I was already on a different team for the WRGP, "Um... thanks." I quickly changed the topic. "You guys put together teams yet for the WTGP?"

He shrugged, "Not really. We're still sorting things out. I'll probably team with Mei and let Yusei and Jack team. Good practice for the main event, but without you we only have three riders ya know? Might as well take the chance to spend more time with my girlfriend. What about you?"

"I'm not sure either. If things don't work out right I suppose I could team with Koishii." I wasn't entirely sure, but I got the feeling I could get Sherry to partner with me for the tournament instead of Mizoguchi. After our little spat I felt like we'd gotten a little closer, but it was hard to tell. Sherry was pretty good at hiding what she was really thinking and feeling if she wasn't knocked off her guard by something.

"Well that's great. I'll be looking forward to facing off against you again."

"Yeah."

Checking his watch, Crow motioned at the door, "I've got to go to work, but it was good seeing you again. Don't be a stranger okay?"

"Yeah. See you around."

Crow nodded with a smile and headed back through the house, probably to say goodbye to Mei before leaving. Left by myself, I sat back and wondered about how I should handle everything that was going on. Everything was changing, I could feel it. Things had been brewing over the past month and something in my gut told me that lots of things would be coming to a head soon. I was having a hard time adjusting. Like I'd said before, my depression had left me standing still while everyone around me changed and moved on. Suddenly everything was speeding up, including me. Somehow I'd started moving again and I wasn't sure right then of what to make of anything or where my head was supposed to be at.

I wasn't sure what to do. It wouldn't be long before the WRGP party, which I would be attending with the other members of Team LeBlanc. There was the distinct chance that I would run into 'Team 5Ds' there and that would be all kinds of awkward and potentially explosive. None of them apparently knew I was on Sherry's team and would be running against them in the WRGP. I could only imagine what they'd think about my teaming up with a woman after making such a fuss over the incident with Aki. Even though it wasn't like that... Or was it? I was certainly attracted to Sherry, though honestly who wouldn't be; and it wasn't entirely just physical attraction. We had chemistry too. Just being around her made me forget everything bothering me and made me all confused inside. It was weird and hard to explain why. It was attraction sure, but it was different... I didn't even know if that was the right word for the feeling or what the right word for it could be. I was pretty sure I wasn't in love. Love felt... different. I mean, love was what I'd had for Aki right?

Making things more complicated was the realization that when I thought about that feeling as I sat there in the garage, I thought that very wording 'what I'd _had_'. For the life of me I couldn't figure out why or when I'd started thinking of my feelings for Aki in the past tense or if I was only thinking that way because I was so confused. I could only sit there tying myself in knots over it. What right did I have to be so mad at Aki if I was so easily swayed? Did this count as easily? I mean the thing with Sherry was... she was... I had no idea how to complete that sentence.

Sherry's Perspective, the Night of the Party

A rapping on the door was promptly followed by Mizoguchi's familiar voice speaking my native tongue, "Are you finished, Lady Sherry? May I come in?"

I took a long, hard look in the full length mirror in front of me, starting at the bottom and going up to survey the dress I was going to be wearing that night. I sighed just as hard at the sight. The white heels I was wearing weren't much to speak of other than the fact they were probably shorter than most heels any women there would likely be wearing. The dress itself was beautiful while staying simple. The long shirt embroidered with intricately designed vines and roses, understated elegantly by being only very faintly a different shade of white. You'd have to really look at the dress to appreciate the detail of the stitching as it accented the curves of the female figure with masterful precision. Though I thought it drew out the extra lumps from my toned muscles a bit too much. It was strapless too and a a little low cut in the back, which left my shoulders and arms bare in all their hardened glory. I wouldn't go so far as to call them manly, but to me they did not look anywhere near feminine enough. I felt a little bad that I didn't make the dress Koyou had pointed out look better, though the slightly off-white accents did work well with my blonde hair, which was pinned up in a simple but elegant style. The man had surprisingly good taste for someone that dressed so plainly.

"Yes, I'm dressed." I answered plainly.

Mizoguchi stepped in, his head low as butler's always do when they enter a room. He didn't raise his eyes until he spoke, "My la-" he tripped over himself, taken aback at the sight of me in that dress.

I sighed, "Why did I even buy this thing?"

"I-It suits you, Lady Sherry. I think you look exquisite."

"You're biased." I frowned, "You'd say that if I was wearing a garbage bag."

"Though I am biased, I would never lie." though he was normally cold and professional, Mizoguchi was beaming a bit as he looked at me, like a proud father, "You do look wonderful. Mr. Kou has excellent taste."

I frowned at my reflection, "Did you bring the shawl?"

"Indeed," he stepped forward and handed it over with a shallow bow, "though I think the thinner one would have gone better with your ensemble."

I draped the cloth over me, the fabric matching the off-white of the embroidery and being thick enough to hide my shoulders and arms better. "The dress does go well with it though."

"Did the tuxedo fit Mr. Kou well?"

"He didn't try it on in front of me, I just dropped in off." I replied curtly, "He said the size was right though. You haven't lost your touch."

Mizoguchi just smiled and bowed appreciatively.

"Speaking of tuxedos, aren't you under-dressed?" I motioned at his clothing, he wasn't even as well dressed as he was when he was doing his butler duties. He was in the clothes he wore when working on our runners.

"I am afraid I will not be able to attend the proceedings tonight. There was some trouble with the runners that needs to be addressed if we are to resume training."

"They were running fine yesterday." I said skeptically.

The man smiled that barely detectably smile that he got whenever he was trying to make excuses to leave me alone. It was accented more than usual by the fatherly beaming, "There were complications during a systems check. It must have just built up over time from being strained so much lately. Do not worry though, I have arranged for transportation that we can trust."

Even his excuses were well-practiced with the precision of a veteran butler. I sighed and gave him an annoyed look, "I hope you aren't fibbing and making up excuses to give me time alone with Koyou. I told you I'm not interested in that kind of thing. All I'm interested in is avenging my parents. I don't need anything else."

"I would never lie to you, my lady; but I do think a relaxing night out will do both of you some good."

"Hardly relaxing, we're going right into the maw of the beast tonight." I looked at myself in the mirror again, "I'm half hoping we do get attacked. Bringing them down while wearing an evening gown would add all the more embarrassment to their destruction."

Mizoguchi frowned at that sentiment, "I doubt they would make a move with so many witnesses there, milady. Which is why I feel confident in leaving you to Koyou while I attend to the malfunctions."

"You _are_ trying to set me up aren't you?" I sighed once more.

"Nothing of the sort." he lied, that little devious smile of his betraying him more than he realized.

"If you say so, Mizoguchi. You may go."

"Thank you, milady. I will go and do a safety check on the car, just to be certain. It should be here shortly." As if on cue, there was a knock on the door, "Ah. Perhaps that is them dropping it off now." Mizoguchi excused himself and headed for the main room of the apartment.

I looked into the mirror some more, wondering about the answer to a question I had posed aloud not long before. Why _had_ I bought the dress? There were any number of dresses in that store that concealed my arms and I would have been comfortable wearing without a shawl, but I had bought the one that Koyou seemed to like without even considering doing anything else. I did not want to admit being drawn to him, but I did have to admit there was a measure of chemistry there and that I felt comfortable around him even though we had only met a few weeks before. In that time we'd dueled many times, each of us losing as often as we won. We had even just gone out for coffee once when talking strategy. I had been spending so much time with him...

And since when did I care about looking beautiful? Before I had always just thought I was good looking enough to make use of it occasionally and did not care whether or not I looked any better than I needed to be. There I was that night though, thinking I wasn't attractive enough. Attractive enough for what? I was tying myself in knots thinking about-

"Mr. Kou. What a surprise." Mizoguchi said suddenly from the main room.

I turned around suddenly in surprise, looking out through the bedroom door that had been right behind me and through the next room to the front door directly across from me. There Koyou was standing in the tuxedo I'd bought him with hair in a much neater style than usual. What stuck out most was that he looked like he had just been slapped in the face. I didn't realize until later that my turning had unintentionally been a graceful twirl timed by coincidence to the moment he looked my way.

Though it seemed longer, our little moment had only been just that: a moment. Mizoguchi was still in the middle of his greeting, "You are early. I admire your punctuality."

In hindsight I'm not entirely sure Koyou heard him, "You look... really great in that, Sherry. Uh..."

I avoided eye contact reflexively and held the shawl around me, "You clean up nicely as well, Monsieur Kou."

Beaming and failing in his attempts at hiding it, Mizoguchi bowed and excused himself, "I will ready the car." The man hurried off with an expression I imagined was like a father sending is daughter to her first prom. I made a point of remembering to scold him later for such hijinks.

Koyou pointed out something that proved again how similarly our minds worked, he even siad it the same way, "Speaking of tuxedos, isn't he a bit under-dressed?"

"He is not coming with us. Apparently our runners are having engine trouble."

"They were running fine the other day." suddenly realizing he was still standing in the opening doorway, he stepped in and closed it.

"That's what I said." I chuckled lightly, then decided to break the mildly awkward mood by stepping out of the bedroom and towards the kitchen, "Would you like something to drink before we go. It will take Mizoguchi a little while to get the car." When I passed him he reached out and stopped me by gently grabbing my arm. I jumped a little at the contact for some reason.

"Allow me. I would kick myself if you messed up your dress before the party. What would you like to drink?"

"We should probably avoid alcohol for a lot of reasons."

"Yeah." Koyou looked around, "Ah. There's coffee on. Mizoguchi must have made some."

"A cup of coffee would be great right now." I nearly forgot to tell him how I like it, "The cups are in the shelf above it. I take it with two creams and a teaspoon of sugar."

"In these small mugs?" he held up two white mugs that were just a bit bigger than teacups, I nodded, "I didn't think you'd like so much sugar in your coffee, but in hindsight I probably shouldn't have been."

"I am not sure what you mean."

"Nothing. Don't mind me." he brushed of the subject and started pouring.

"I am French you know, even if I only lived in the country for ten years. Coffee there is much sweeter than the coffee in most other countries."

"Yeah, my mother is a bit of a coffee nut. She's got quite a stock of types from all around."

"Maybe I _should_ have stayed for breakfast that day."

Koyou smiled as he stirred our cups and I noticed he made his own the same way as mine. I doubted it at the time, but we even take our coffee the same way. "Ever have real Columbian roast? Strong but smooth, not a thing like Japanese blend."

"Yes. It is good enough to warrant the stere... stereo..." I fumbled over my Japanese.

"Stereotype?"

"Yes, thank you." I took the cup he offered, "For the coffee too."

"Mm. Anyway, I think I like the European blends the best. German's surprisingly good."

_'Dammit stop having things in common with me, it's weird.'_ I thought to myself and kept it there, instead continuing the idle chat, "Yes. They have a penchant for food in Germany, though France gives it a run for its money in kinds. Have you had croquembouche before?"

"Never heard of it."

"Ah, it is very delicious. A pile of chocolate cream-filled cream puffs bound together by caramel then slathered in almonds and a sweet chocolate cream sauce called ganache."

"You're making me hungry."

I smiled, "Well, I'm sure the car will be ready soon and there is sure to be quite a banquet at the party. Maybe even croquembouche if we're lucky."

There was an awkward silence suddenly. We didn't say anything as Koyou seemed to be bothered by something. After a minute, he spoke up about it, "Are you as jittery about tonight as I am?"

_'Yes'_ I admitted to myself, then lied, "Why would I be jittery? I am prepared for whatever they might try, though I doubt they'll be so bold."

"Lots of things could go wrong..." he sighed, "but I'm ready for it too. I've got your back."

"Thank you. I appreciate it even if I am not feeling nervous." I decided to press a topic that was probably one of the things bothering them, "What will you do if Team 5Ds is there?"

He stared into nothingness in deep thought. Obviously he didn't know. I was about to ask him why they weren't getting along any more, but a knock on the door made me miss the timing, "Lady Sherry, the car is ready to go."

"Very good, Mizoguchi. Thank you."

"I will be with the runners if your need anything else, milady."

I turned back to Koyou, "By the way, we should do something to conceal your identity a bit more. Not from Team 5D's of course, but Yliaster."

"I slicked back my hair for that and waited to shave again until tonight. It's more than enough considering they'll have my name when they check the register for the WRGP."

I walked over to him and pulled out a pair of black framed glassed with small fake lenses. "I filed you under a fake name, and I go you these to help with tonight." placed them on his face, the change was pretty amazing combined with the slicked back hair, "Ah, I was right. They suit you."

He took the time to glance in the mirror, "Wow. I look pretty different with the whole thing together. They do look pretty sharp with my hair like this."

I grinned, "Shall we be off Kouto Yohma?"

"Interesting alias."

"Thank you, I thought going with something that sounded similar then you ran into someone that recognizes you we could pass 'Koyou' off as a nickname and not your real one."

"You're good at this."

I flashed him a confident grin, "I know."

Koyou's Perspective

A familiar face, Goodwin's former assistant, stood on the balcony of the banquet hall and began the proceedings, "Welcome, duelists of the world. I am Yeager, and I thank you for joining us for the commencement of the first ever World Dueling Grand Prix. A celebration of our history and our future, of uniting the broken pieces of our fractured city into the center of the dueling world that it once was. To this end, the Grand Prix will consist of two events. The World Tag Grand Prix, honoring the Tag Force tournaments of bygone eras, will be held in the traditional Battle City format with teams battling whenever and wherever within the city that a challenge is laid down. The winning team will get a major prize that was kept secret until tonight: the winning team will gain a free pass in the preliminaries of the WRGP, being seeded during the first round and thus gaining automatic advancement to the second round. In addition, the team will be awarded $15,000 in store credit to enhance the runners of their team for the WRGP." The crowd was buzz with that juicy bait.

I turned to Sherry, "Seems like that will be interesting."

"Indeed. With a prize like that competition will be fierce."

The vaguely clown-like man went on to explain the format of the WRGP, which we already knew and some other formalities that we didn't care about. Instead I took the chance to make sure Sherry knew something important, speaking in a low voice so that only she would hear, "Yliaster isn't presiding directly over this. Yeager is pure toady. He thinks and does whatever he's told to. They'd never put any major move in his hands."

"They think enough of him to put him as the face of the government."

"Yliaster has been for thousands of years worming there way into the operations of every government to such an extent that you've not been safe in I don't know how many countries you've been to."

"I see your point. That position is probably meaningless to a group of their scale. Just some 'Yes' man in that spot would be enough to meet their needs." Sherry sighed, "I knew they would probably stay away, but I am still a bit disappointed."

"It doesn't mean they aren't watching though. It just means that this event isn't a big part of the plan. Formalities and nothing more. If they strike at you-"

"It will be after the party." she spoke from experience, "Might as well enjoy it then. Stay away from alcohol and don't overeat. You might need to think and run fast."

"Got it. We can scout out some of the other teams though. If we get them comfortable enough we might even be able to find out the pairs for the tag tournament."

Sherry shot me a grin, "Did I ever mention how impressive your adaptability is, Monsieur 'Yohma'? You have gotten quite used to this 'cloak and dagger' stuff."

"You forget I've seen some serious stuff too, Mademoiselle LeBlanc."

"Mademoiselle LeBlanc." Those last two words of teasing joviality were echoed by a tall, arrogant looking man in a riding suit designed to look like a tuxedo. Even though it was well-crafted, I couldn't help but be reminded of those t-shirts with a tux front printed on them. "Oh excuse me, in my excitement I came over and spoke over your friend. Am I interrupting an important discussion?" The man's French accent was much thicker than Sherry's, he probably lived there longer than her.

Sherry bowed politely, giving a curtsy and everything; but I noticed her eyes never left the man. She was ready to fend off an attack, but kept up a friendly act, replying to the man in French and laughing a fake laugh as if she'd been joking around with him, she then introduced me in French as Kouto Yohma, placing a hand on me in a signal we'd set up. She was letting me know covertly that she didn't know the guy and had never seen him.

The man gave me a polite bow with unneeded flair, "Ah, a pleasure to meet both of you. I am Simone Jesson, lead rider for Team Crescent Moon."

"The team that took the French Cup last year?" Sherry clearly kept up with international rankings more than I did, but that made sense.

"Ah, my reputation precedes me." he grinned, and I immediately disliked him. You have to have a pretty big ego to refer to your entire team's reputation as your own. "May I ask if the rumors are true? That you are from the LeBlanc family that ran LeBlanc Industries so many years ago?"

"That was a long time ago." Sherry replied uncomfortably.

"Ah, then I was appropriately ecstatic in my approach! I was a huge fan of the LeBlanc products in my younger days. Their work was always a cut above the rest."

"Thank you."

I cut in to the conversation, "Are you here alone tonight Mr. Jesson? I don't see the rest of your team around."

"Ah, they must be here somewhere. I will introduce you the first chance I get."

Sherry said something to him in French again, and from the way she acted it was something at my expense. Something she found funny.

Jesson laughed a moment after she started, which seemed a little off. So I chuckled as well, "Ah, I have to admit she's right. Anyway, I hate to cut this short, but we were going to meet up with some associates here. If you'll excuse us."

"Oh, do not mind me. I will see you later."

"I look forward to it." turning, Sherry fell into step beside me. Once there was distance between us and him and leaned in slightly to speak in a lower voice, "He doesn't speak French does he?"

"No. You would think that if the were going to hire someone with a fake accent it would be from a land the target wasn't born in."

"Maybe they couldn't tell."

"You could."

"Only because you keep telling jokes and he kept not getting them."

She smiled at me, "You _are_ good at this, Monsieur Yohma."

"So do you think the rest of his team exists?"

"They are probably milling around the exits or something of the sort. We must be especially careful. We have stepped in their trap after all. I should have known they would have at least one team here keeping an eye out for me and blending in with the rest."

"At least we have forewarning about hit-men in the ranks."

"Stick close, this has become dangerous."

Looking around I spotted Yusei and the others talking with Carly, and Trudge and Mina were mingling about. Which brought an interesting question to my mind, "Why aren't there any cops coming now that they know you're here?"

"Good question. I will say that line about sticking close again. Something is fishy about this. Perhaps they don't want to make a scene, but it could also mean-"

"They already have something in place."

She nodded, "We should mingle. Standing here like this is cons...conspicoo... consopi... It makes us stand out too much."

"Conspicuous."

"Thank you."

"Really breaks the sense of tension when you fumble with the big words of the language."

She glared at me.

"Sorry, sorry. Mingling now."

I looked around and spotted Yusei again, walking away with a look of frustration on his face from a trio of duelist who must have been talking with him and Crow, who excused himself to go after Yusei. They hadn't seen me yet, but it occurred to me that would change soon, Yusei was walking my way without knowing it. Almost on reflex I turned my back so that he wouldn't see my face.

Sherry, of course, noticed, "So that's what you'd do if you ran into them."

"Hush."

"Hmph." she rolled her eyes at me, but turned so that Yusei wouldn't see her face either.

I listened in when Crow stopped Yusei and Yusei threw his arm off, "Let me go, Crow."

"What's with you lately, Yusei? I haven't seen you act like this since... well a long time. Is this about the Ghost again?"

I tensed.

Yusei must have too because Crow said, "It is about the Ghost. Listen, I know your worried, but you can't let it keep getting to you like this. We'll figure it out."

I put a hand to my face in shame. Yusei was just as unsettled and clueless about how to fight Yliaster's weapon as I was and there I was avoiding him when I should be with them trying to help them figure it out. My attitude was still hurting people, and maybe even threatening the safety of the city. Whether my path was with them or not, I was making an enemy out of the biggest chance we had of stopping them.

"I've been a real jerk." I mumbled to myself. I turned out and was going to go over to Yusei, but things hit the fan.

I mean that literally. A huge runner pretty much made of spiked steam rollers crashed through the window facing the highway. The huge, fat thug steering it ran it on a small tirade through the tables as he cackled at the carnage. An entire table flew up and took out a ceiling fan that went careening towards a duelist dressed in a swan theme. Another wearing a wolf-themed riding suit dove and got her out of the way. The oaf bowled over the security forces that rushed in to grab him and started yelling nonsense and holding up WRGP poster.

"I don't know where you high-end folks get off thinking you can run a tournament through my turf without paying me what's due me! I won't let the man walk all over me! You ain't getting nothing started until I get what's mine!"

Sherry shrugged and quipped at me, "At least you were not _that_ big of a jerk to anyone."

Some more cops tried to rush him but he charged through them on his runner, cackling as he drove towards a crowd, "Who wants some? WHO WANTS SOME?"

The crowd parted, revealing Aki standing right in his way, glaring at him. She refusd to move an inch. Yusei called out to her at the same time I'd did, "AKI! MOVE!"

Instead she pulled a card from the duel disk I hadn't noticed her wearing and summoned Black Rose Dragon, using her psychic powers to send the thug careening out another window. As security moved to surround him, Yusei and Aki both turned to the source of a voice they recognised: me.

Aki was stunned, "Koyou? Why are you here?"

Sherry rushed to my side and grabbed my arm, pulling on it insistently, "You can talk to them later, this is a good chance to slip out of here. We need to go now before they get everything settled again."

The thugs managed to flip his runner back onto its wheels and evade the police who rushed to get their runners and pursue. Meanwhile, Aki was even more confused, "Sherry?"

"Sorry, can't talk right now." Sherry waved, "Koyou, let's move!"

I looked at Aki and then to Yusei, but went with Sherry, "You're right. We have to get out of here now while we have the chance."

Yusei called after me, "Koyou, what's going on?"

"I'll explain later. Trust me." On that note, Sherry and I slipped out the back way and down the alleyways.

Next Chapter: A Night to Remember Part 2: Complications


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: A Night to Remember Part 2: Complications

Sherry was having trouble running in heels but was doing a fair job of it, "Come on, I scouted the roads around here and know how to get away without getting on the camera network."

"Why aren't we getting the car?"

"They probably set an ambush there or a bomb. They pulled both in Argentina when I was twelve."

"Right. I'll shut up then."

"Keep an eye out, there might be snipers."

"Like in Argentina?"  
"No, Prague. Oh, and that one time in Madrid."

"Damn you get around."

We made it about a block down the street before the sound of motors started getting closer. Sherry stopped about midway down the alley we had just entered, "Do you hear that?"

"Duel runners. Not a lot of them." I listened carefully as they got even closer, "New models."

"Dammit, it must be the fake Frenchman." looking at the direction of the noises she noted, "It's coming from two directions." backpedaling, she pointed back the way we came, "They are trying to pen us in. Come on, it is quieter that wa-"

A sleek black runner blocked our way that way. Turning to run the other way, two more hemmed us in from that side.

"Dammit!" Sherry looked around on the ground, "No sewer access, no fire escapes. They scouted the area out too. Dammit!"

I sized up our environment as well, "It's a wide alley, maybe we can slip around."

"We can't outrun them. We'll have to fight them."

One of the pair at the north end of the alley turned his runner off and dismounted, followed by the guy behind us. The third turned his so that he could charge down the alley on it if there was trouble. When the two thugs got to us, it wasn't surprising to see that they were both in tuxedo style riding suits and that when one of them took his helmet off the face underneath was Jesson's.

"Mademoiselle LeBlanc, how rude of you to run off before I could introduce you to my team. This is Sasha." he motioned to the one behind us, who took off her helmet to reveal that what I'd thought was a guy was just a flat-chested woman. He then motioned to the one still on a runner, "This is Pietro."

Sherry was almost snarling at the man, "If you are going to kill us you should have brought a weapon. You underestimate us."

The man scoffed, "Ha! My dear I am not so rude! I am not here to kill you. Where did you get that idea?" he was as terrible at lying as he was at being French, "I am just here to challenge you to a match in this grand WTGP. Sasha here is my partner, and you seem to have yours right here. What do you say?"

Pietro revved his runner to let us know we had no choice in the matter.

I glared at him, "So you're going to kill us with the virtual solid technology and make it look like a dueling accident."

"Oh , you have such a violent imagination! Don't you, Mr. Yohma. If you hate me so much you are free to leave. We can simply have a nice talk with the pretty lady here and send her back to you."

Sherry looked at me, a look of resolve and anger on her face, "Do you still have my back?"

"You have to ask?"

"No, I just thought it would be more dramatic." she grinned.

"You're a woman I can really relate to." I grinned back, "You got some extra duel disks for us, Jesson or you want us to play on the cement?"

"Pietro!" Jesson called out to his goon, who passed him two duel disks, which he handed to us.

We both checked them for tampering before strapping them on, "DUEL!"

Team LeBlanc: 8000 vs Team Crescent Moon: 8000

Jesson seized the first turn, "My move! I summon Noble Knight Artorigus!" a knight in shining armor stood from nothing, armed with 1800 attack points. It was soon joined by another knight in golden armor in defense mode, "Because I control a light normal monster I can special summon Noble Knight Gawayn in defense mode. With that I will set two cards and end my turn."

Sherry looked to me, "I'll take the lead, I'm counting on you for the follow-through."

I nodded.

She drew to start her turn, "Let's see what you are plotting! I summon a knight of my own: Sacred Knight Joan! She'll go after your defense mode Gawayn, but her attack goes down to 1600 when she attacks."

Jesson smirked, "All the better for me as you fall into my trap! Rules of Engagement! Because you cowardly attacked a monster in defense mode that has lower defense than its attack I redirect the attack to Artorigus and I add Gawayn's 1900 attack to his 1800!" Artorigus came forward to defend Gawayn who looked to his savior in awe and rushed to aid him. Joan's 1600 attack met their combined 3700. It was no contest.

Team LeBlanc: 5900 vs Team Crescent Moon: 8000

"Ugh!" Sherry shielded her face from the shattering of her monster then grabbed something from her hand, "I discard a card to activate Joan's effect. When Joan is destroyed I can discard a card to return a level four or lower warrior monster to my hand. I choose the card I discarded: Scabbard of the Floral Knights!"

"What's the point in that?"

"When Scabbard of the Floral Knights is returned to my hand from the graveyard I may banish it to set a level four or lower Floral Knight or Fleur monster from my deck. I set Spearholder of the Floral Knights, then set two cards. Your turn."

Sasha drew a card, "I change Gawayn to attack mode, and then activate the spell card Hidden Armory. I mill the top card of my deck and sacrifice my normal summon this turn to add an equip spell from my deck or graveyard to my hand. I add 'Noble Arms – Arfeudutyr' to my hand. Artorigus attacks your set monster."

Sherry was ready for that, "Now you have walked into my trap: Sacred Rose Sanctuary. I remove a defense position monster I control from play and target a monster on your side of the field. Because the monster I banished was a Floral Knight I change Gawayn to the same battle position my monster was in and direct your attack at it instead."

The field was engulfed in white rose petals and Gawayn shifted to face down defense mode. Artorigus, confused, stumbled and accidentally drove his sword into his comrade. Sasha cursed loudly then set a card, "Turn end."

Sherry explained as Spearholder of the Floral Knights returned to the field, "The banished monster returns to the field during the end phase." Looking to me she stepped aside, "Take it from here."

I nodded and drew a card. Looking at the field, I guessed that the card Sasha set was the equip she had fetched from the deck since she had not used it. Whatever the effect of it was, she was trying to hand it off to Jesson, "Sherry, Sasha's a support player. Jesson's the big hitter."

Jesson looked shocked. "What the-?"

Sherry nodded, trusting my evaluation, "The turn order means you are the one that must bear his assaults. I am counting on you."

"And I won't let you down." checking the cards Sherry had left for me, I smiled, "You really know how to treat a partner."

Sherry grinned playfully.

"I flip summon Spearholder of the Floral Knights and tribute it to activate its effect, adding an equip spell from my deck to my hand. I chose Supervise. Next, I summon Tuned Swordsman in attack mode and follow that with the spell card Double Summon allowing me to normal summon Blazewing Butterfly. I'm not done, I'm also equipping Supervise to Tuned Swordsman, making him a tuner monster."

Jesson gritted his teeth, glancing at his trap on reflex. My gut told me to tweak my approach slightly from what I intended, so I did.

"I tune my level four Tuned Swordsman to my level four Blazewing Butterfly. Fires of destruction, flames of creation, an irresistible force denies the advancing doom! Synchro shokan! Charge on through, Black Brutdrago!" A massive brute of a dragon appeared on the field and a geyser of flame signaled Blazewing's return in defense mode, "When Supervise hits the grave it brings back a normal monster or gemini. I special summon Blazewing back to the field in defense. You still following this? 'Cause I'm still not done with you." Black Brutdrago unleashed a furious roar, inhaling a card as I discarded it and then blasting the card Sasha had set, "By discarding a gemini monster, Brutdrago's first effect destroys one of your spell or trap cards. Sure enough, it was a sword she was trying to hand off to you!"

"Damn."

"Black Brutdrago attacks Artorigus!"

Sasha, who was still the active player on her team, went for a trap, "I activate Mirror Force, destroying every attack position monster you control."

Brutdrago shattered, the fragments melting into a pile of lava, "I knew it. Both in effect and in the way he can be run _right into_ things without concern, Black Brutdrago eats traps for his team." From the lava erupted Tuned Swordsman, "When destroyed, Black Brutdrago revives a gemini monster and that monster is treated as if it were activated as an effect monster. Tuned Magician's taking his place and he's got 100 more attack than Artorigus." my knight slashed through his, cutting into their life points. I reached for the trap Sherry had left me, "I activate a little help from my partner: Call of the Haunted. Guess who is back? Back and in black! Rise up, Black Brutdrago!"

From behind me, Jesson shouted, "Pietro! Can we get an unfortunate accident over here?"

I was confused for a moment. Which was the time it took me to turn back around and realize that Pietro was driving his runner right at me, trying to run me down right in the middle of the duel. It was a moment too slow to react, but Sherry yanked me aside.

I glared at him, "You bastard!"

"What? I didn't do anything. It was some reckless driver. So tragic!" his fiendish grin nearly made me too slow to push Sherry aside and dodge out of the way of Pietro's second pass.

I pressed the attack quickly, "Black Brutdrago attacks you directly!"

Following the rules of the system rather than my desire, Black Brutdrago went after the active player, Sasha, who was sent flying back several yards by the impact.

Team LeBlanc: 5900 vs Team Crescent Moon: 4900

"Sasha!" Pietro drove passed us and blocked us off, helping Sasha to her feet. After all, she couldn't use her now broken right arm, "I thought you only amped up the feedback on ours!"

Jesson was wide-eyed and beside himself, "I-I did. What the hell was that? That much force was from a standing attack?"

I walked over to him and glared hard at him, "I can't attack you without breaking the rules of the system, but I can keep doing that to your friend all day."

Jesson quivered.

I then backed up to my former place in the alley, "I set one card, and then end my turn."

Sherry was all smiles and whispered to me, "You really don't disappoint."

"Like I said, I can't hit Jesson, but you can. I don't make a lot of requests, but I want that guy put down _hard_. I don't want to win by taking his friend down, I want_ him_ to lose. I'll be your shield, you be my lance."

"You have yourself a deal."

Hesitating, Jesson started his turn, "I activate the spell card Swing of Memories, special summoning Noble Knight Artorigus from the grave. I follow that with The Warrior Returning Alive, adding Noble Knight Gawayn to my hand. It will not tarry there for long, for I special summon it to the field with its effect. Finally, by tributing Artorigus, I special summon Ignoble Knight of Black Laundsallyn." A black knight with fiendish glowing eyes appeared, stabbing Gawayn in the back, "His effect lets me tribute a Noble Knight to add a Noble Arms card from my deck to my hand. I add Noble Arms – Gallatin" the sword appeared in Laundsallyn's hand, "This equip spell raises his attack by 1000 points. From 2000 to 3000. Laundsallyn attacks Tuned Swordsman!"

"You complain about cowardice when we do that, but now it's fine? Actually no, it's not." I reached for my set card, "It's time for a oldie but goodie, Kunai _with Chain_! This classic trap shifts your monster to defense mode, and then equips to a monster I control, granting it 500 extra attack points!" A bladed chain shot out from the trap and wrapped around Laundsallyn. Black Brudrago grabbed the chain in its mouth and yanked the knight into a kneeling position while gaining 500 attack. I turned to Sherry, "Well, I was your blade with a chain on it, that good enough?"

Sherry chuckled, "It will do."

Jesson gritted his teeth at our hijinks and looked hard at his hand, "I... set one card and end my turn."

It started raining. Not that it mattered much, but it was coming down pretty fast and soon we'd all be drenched. Of course I didn't pay it any mind. Sherry was about to make her move.

"Either the thugs are getting worse at this or we work really well together." Sherry drew a card and grinned, "This is already over. I banish Fleur Synchron to activate the spell card Rite of the Floral Knight, this spell lets me treat a tuner monster on my field as Fleur Synchron. So I tune my level four 'Fleur Synchon' to my level four Blazewing Butterfly." The two monster became the standard stars and rings, "My body that's faster than the speed of light, the time for Revolution has come! Bring victory into my hands!" The familiar lady knight with flower hair arrived in a twirl of petals and a flourish of her thin blade, "Synchro Summon! Shine, Chevalier de Fleur!"

Jesson acted, "I activate Bottomle-"

Chevalier de Fleur lashed out, destroying the trap before it could take effect, "Once during my turn, Chevalier de Fleur can negate the activations of a spell or trap card and destroy it! Now as I was saying before you rudely interrupted me I follow that with the summon Future Samurai."

"PIETRO!"

Snapping to attention, Pietro revved his runner and drove right at Sherry.

I rushed to her, getting us both out of the way, "Do it!"

"Future Samurai clears the way." Future Samurai cut down Laundsallyn, whose defense was only 800. Meanwhile, Pietro came around for another pass as Sherry was signaling the next attack, "Chevalier de Fleur and Black Brutdrago attack you directly!"

Stepping with coincidental unison, I gathered my anger and rushed Pietro instead of dodging, running up next to him before he got too close and belting him one, knocking him clear off his runner as the final attacks knocked Jesson's life points down to zero and eliminated Team Crescent Moon from the the WTGP.

Team LeBlanc: 5900 vs Team Crescent Moon: 0

To my horror, the runner did something I should have expected. It kept going. The runaway bike fell over and slid at high speed across the rain-slick ground towards my partner, "Sherry look out!" I dashed for her.

She jumped, but not quite high enough, the runner knocking her feet out from under her and she started falling face first towards the cement. Instead, she ended up falling into my arms. She was breathing heavily from the adrenaline and was wide-eyed from nearly hitting her head on the ground. Her long blonde hair had escaped the clips holding her hairdo together and was already soaked and sticking to her. She was a heck of a sight.

"Sherry, you okay?"

"Look out!"

Sherry's Perspective

Jesson grabbed Koyou from behind and pulled. In the ensuing struggle, Koyou broke free at the cost of his jacket, which the enraged Jesson tore completely off of him. That wasn't enough for the goon though and he lunged for my partner. "You bastard!"

Koyou ducked under the man's wide swing but the second clipped him on the chin and made him stumble. He kept his wits enough to rush Jesson as the thug tried to move in for another punch and drove his foe into the alley wall before pulling back just enough to launch an uppercut. Jesson came back with a kick to Koyou's gut that sent him tumbling. When I moved to attack, Jesson grabbed a piece of pipe that had broken of Pietro's runner. He tried to hit me with it, but Koyou yanked me back out of the striking arc and darted in for a punch. Jesson managed to swing again, catching Koyou across the shoulder.

"UGH!" Koyou was knocked off balance trying to evade the attack and was wide open as he fell to one knee.

Jesson raised the pipe to attack, but the sound of sirens filled the night air over the sound of pouring rain. I used the distraction to pull Koyou clear of him. I was going to charge the bastard, but Sasha called out to him from Pietro's dazed form, "Dammit, Jesson, let's get out of here! The money isn't worth getting arrested or killed for!" She helped her friend to his feet and they hurried to get there runners. Jesson growled and threw the pipe aside, running to his.

I was tempted to chase them, but I knew it was pointless and Koyou was hurt. They were gone before I could have even stood back up anyway. "Koyou, are you okay?"

He got to his feet and felt the area that was hit, then tested his shoulder a bit, "Yeah. It'll bruise pretty bad, but it was only a stiff graze."

"Then let's get out of here. If those sirens are coming this way."

He nodded, "Yeah. Even if they aren't we're getting soaked out here in the rain."

A few blocks later we stopped running to catch our breaths. Koyou shook the water from his hair, "Ugh. It always feel this desolate when you do this?"

"When it is raining and nobody is on the streets? Yes."

"Feels like we've been running forever. My sense of time is all screwed up."

I nodded, wrapping my arms around myself to help fight back cold a little, "Cities are a lot bigger than you think when you don't have transportation."

Koyou started looking around, "Where are we? We have to get off the streets and let this blow over or hail a cab... _something_." It was right then that he looked at me, went wide-eyed, and then looked away quickly.

Dreading what I guessed was the case, I looked down. Not just my shawl, my entire dress was soaked clean through. There is a major problem with wearing all white. It has a tenancy to become a bit transparent went it gets wet. It wasn't as bad as it could be... the embroidery did cover a lot, but my shoulders, my sides, and a fair amount of skin was showing through. Except for my underwear and the embroidery in the dress, I was pretty much naked. "OH GOD!"

Koyou reached for his jacket, then realized, "Dammit, I left my jacket back there."

"This... this night..." I groaned, fidgeting awkwardly, "was a _lot_ more trouble than it was worth."

"My phone was in the jacket."

"UGGGGH!"

"Do you have yours?"

"I don't carry one longer than a couple days at a time. Those things are trackable."

"Look, we'll find someplace to dry our clothes. I'm sure there must be somewhere around here. A laundry mat or something."

"UGGGGH!" I was distinctly lacking in coverage... I didn't have nearly as many arms as I needed.

"Come here, I'll cover you up while we walk."

I didn't budge.

"We'll stick to back alleys and-"

I glared at him with an expression I imagine was a lot like a wet cat's.

"Stop looking at me like that."

"Stop _looking at me_."

"S-sorry." He averted his eyes. To his credit, he had been keeping his eyes on mine and not actually 'enjoying the view', "Listen, we've got to get moving. Come here and I'll cover you."

I finally swallowed my embarrassment and went over to him, "There's a hotel about a block away. We can get them to wash our clothes and take a shower to warm up."

"Good, if we stay out in this too much longer we'll catch our deaths instead of the other way round."

We stood there for a second, my body nearly pressed up against his. His arms around me protectively but carefully avoiding touching anything they shouldn't. The closeness in that vulnerable state made me all the more uncomfortable and Koyou was tenser than I was. I could tell that even though I couldn't look at him. A moment later we finally got over the situation and moved. The hotel wasn't far and Koyou watched like a hawk for any passersby, even though we didn't run into any. When we got into the lobby he even hid me behind a plant and asked for a large towel and brought it to me before he made the arrangements for a room. The hotel was a high class one though, so I had to pay for it. Not that I cared given the situation. I just wanted to get dry and clothed.

When we got upstairs I got to the bathroom faster than I thought possible, quickly undressing and getting into the shower. The hot water was a relief and the shower a sanctuary. I let the heat drive off the chill and quickly cleaned up, staying in only as long as I had to to get warm. Once I was out, I did the usual, drying my hair first and then my body.

With the tension of the battle and the awkward embarrassment of the soaking passed. I stared into the bathroom mirror and processed everything. What a night. The awkward feeling back at my apartment, that weird party crasher at the party, fighting for our lives together against those crazy duelists, that rain and literally revealing far too much of myself to Koyou. We would certainly laugh about it later. With everything calmed down the ludicrousness of everything was already bringing a smile to my face. I lingered there looking at my reflection for a moment and reminded myself of the feelings I'd been rolling around in my head earlier that night at the mirror in my room.

My hand went to my muscular shoulders and moved down my arm... my muscular arm. I pulled the towel away from my torso and looked at it... I had six pack abs. They probably were not as bad as I saw them, but right then I thought I didn't look very feminine. Just like I had felt trying on the dress earlier that day. It had really bothered me sometimes, but over time I just accepted that I wouldn't have the sexiest body in the world and that I shouldn't care. It didn't really help though. I'd just stopped looking at myself in the mirror at some point, but there I was in that hotel bathroom doing it again, staring at a very physical sign of how Yliaster had ruined my life and turned me into something abnormal.

Putting those kinds of thoughts aside, I wrapped myself in a towel and looked around for a bathrobe... There wasn't one. I sighed, then resolved that stepping out in a towel was better than he'd already seen me. So out I went, grabbing my dress on the way out so I could send it for cleaning. There were no bathrobes just outside the bathroom, so I went out to the main room, making sure to try to locate Koyou and avoid him until I found a robe.

Koyou was looking through a gap in the closed Venetian blinds at the large window across from me. He hadn't taken his wet clothes off yet and it made me feel bad for taking so long staring at the mirror.

"Don't turn around, Koyou. I couldn't find a bathrobe so I'm only in a towel."

He tensed, "Okay. Um. I thought they would be in the bathroom. Did you check that closet?"

I looked where he was pointing, a small closet near the window, "No."

"I'll keep my back to you."

I moved around behind him to take the fastest route to the closet, stopping as something in the corner of my eye caught my attention. I turned and looked at Koyou's back... at the strange markings visible through his wet dress shirt. I hadn't noticed them before because I was too busy trying to hide myself. Curious, I touched his shirt and pressed it to his skin. He immediately tensed a lot, and tried to pull away, but I'd seen enough to make me step after him and examine it closer. Koyou turned and forced my hand away, forcefully but not roughly.

He was shaking, his expression fearful, probably like I'd looked when I was exposed in the rain, "Don't do that."

I pressed at a part of his shirt sticking to his chest... the marks were there too. They looked like... I pulled my hand free from his grip and pulled at the buttons of his shirt as if I was compelled to see if it was true. Koyou tried to resist but he was shaking too much to put up much of a fight. Only a few buttons down and I could pull his shirt open to confirm it, "Scars?"

Koyou, quivering, started to button his shirt up again, "That enough?"

I pushed his hands away and yanked his shirt the rest of the way open, baring his chest completely. His torso was covered in deep scars in the pattern of the signs I'd seen in the materials on Dark Signers. There was no way they were done to him willingly. They didn't even seem like a scar that was possible to make. There were three different ones at his shoulder... _'Claw marks?'_ I touched what looked like the wounds from an attack that should have killed him. He tensed and inhaled sharply, and trembled as I ran my fingers down the claw marks and onto the weird markings. The very physical sign of how Yliaster had ruined his life and turned him into something abnormal.

I could feel tears welling up in my eyes, but I didn't cry, "My god, Koyou, what have they done to you?"

He tried to calm his breathing, but looking into his eyes I could tell how scared and vulnerable he felt... it was a familiar feeling to me. He grabbed my hand and moved my touch back to the claw marks, "A dark trial by fire where damage from duel monsters was made real." he moved my hand to the Dark Signer symbols, "Burns caused by the forces that Signers and Dark Signers call on trying to burn their way out of my body." He didn't move my hand to the last scar, a short but thick one in his stomach, so I pulled my hand gently out of his and moved my fingers down his chest to touch it myself and he explained, "That's when Ghost made me crash and a piece of my runner impaled me."

I looked at his tortured body for a second, fully understanding that he really was torn up, inside and out. That he more than understood what I was going through. He understood every part of my anger and my pain more than anyone else. I started trembling too as I finally understood hat he was suffering too... how close we were both physically and mentally. My breathing got heavy, matching his own and I became very aware of him. The fingers still touching him felt tingly for some reason, as if my sense of touch had gotten more sensitive. I ran my fingers across his chest again and it felt electric. I looked into his eyes, full of loneliness and fear of rejection.

I'm not sure who kissed who, all I know is that we were suddenly kissing. He seemed to realize it just then as well, his lips started moving more hungrily. The kiss grew deeper and I felt the lines between us somehow blur. It got hard to tell, just from the kiss, where each of us ended. His hands moved across my body, sending waves of that electricity through every inch of me. Just that much contact sent a shiver of pleasure through me and destroyed any reasoning I had left. His shirt hit the floor and I'm not sure if I was the one that took it off him or not. I do know that I loosed the towel keeping my body from his longing touch and let it drop to the floor. I know I was the one that undid his belt and pulled down the only things left keeping him from me. I also know that we gave in completely to our loneliness and need for that strange connection between us. That chemistry had become a volatile chemical reaction, an explosion of our attraction and understanding.

Things had gotten complicated.

Next Chapter: Dealing and Damning


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: The bulk of this chapter deals with the fallout from Koyou and Sherry having sex and discusses some very mildly adult elements as a result. Mainly the effects of sex on a woman's body (biologically and emotionally, not sexually). It is nothing remotely major in my opinion and is only a relatively brief mention, but it you are very very prudish about that kind of thing you might have issues with it. If you are like one reader I have and want to ignore that sex happened (despite it being a narrative element and not intended as smut) you should simply skip this entire chapter. After writing the bulk of what was going to be this chapter in my original plans for it; I decided to cordon off this particular subject matter in its own chapter to be considerate of those fans. That's why the chapter title is different from what the previous chapter said it would be.

Chapter 9: Understanding

The first thing I saw when I woke up were the scars on his chest. I jerked back, not from the sight of them, but from the surprise of waking up next to someone. Koyou was laying flat on his back, his right arm around my shoulders and the other draped on my other arm, which in turn had been draped across his chest. I had been snuggling... _snuggling_ up next to him, on my side with my head resting on his shoulder. Of all the things to be thinking about right then, it still amazes me that one of the things that bothered me was I didn't think I was the snuggling type.

In my confusion I tried to process everything at once. The first thing was trying to deal with the fact that a naked man was sleeping beside me, and that I was naked too. That would need to been fixed. Moving towards the side of the bed to look for something to wear, I became aware of the the stiff pain in my body. It wasn't that bad, but it was enough to make moving awkward and uncomfortable. It also brought back the experience the night before and drilled into my head that I was not hallucinating. Koyou and I had slept together. No... even then, as I thought back to the surreal loneliness-fueled passion of the experience, I had to admit it couldn't be called something simple like sex or sleeping together. It was too intense for that. Koyou...

I looked over my shoulder at him as I sat up at the side of the bed. The night before had shown me so much about him: his pain, his sadness, his fear, his passion, his kindness. Even in a passion driven by angst and loneliness Koyou had not greedily sought pleasure for himself. It was the opposite. The man had near obsessively tried to give it to me instead. Thinking back on it, I wondered if it was normal for a man to so hungrily seek out the satisfaction of his partner or if that was just how Koyou was.

When he stirred, I hurriedly wrapped myself in more of the bed sheet and looked away. I could not see his expression, but the bed shook as he woke the rest of the way with a start. Koyou's reaction to realizing what we had done was the same as mine I guessed. Except for the fact that I bit my lip right then and grew frustrated.

"I told you not to make things complicated." I turned the blame to him, even though I was tearing myself apart inside for forgetting my mission, my revenge. I felt like I had been betraying my parents by running from the pain.

"That... I mean...," Koyou struggled, "I'm sorry I lost control... I thought... well I wasn't thinking honestly." though I couldn't see him I could almost feel his expression turn to guilt and worry as he looked at me, "Was that... I mean. Did I make you do that?"

I turned, hardly believing he was asking that, "You did not..." I tensed realizing that I had cornered myself from first line, making him doubt that it had been consensual by blaming him for last night, then admitting that it was not only his fault by reassuring him, "You did not force anything on me. Were you really so sex-crazed that you don't remember?"

Koyou relaxed a little, "Last night was a bit crazy."

I managed to grab the towel I had been wearing and wrap it around myself without pulling the sheets away from the job of hiding our nakedness. "Do not get the wrong idea. This was just sex." I quickly added, "Not that I am the type to have casual sex at the drop of a hat. This was just..."

"Loneliness?"

I bit my lip again, "I do not need anyone to comfort me or make me feel whole. I do not need this. This was... it..." I honestly did not know what it was right then; but I did wonder if I was lying to myself.

"Are you okay?"

At first I was not sure what he was talking out, his tone had sounded too concerned to be about my struggle for words. I noticed he was looking more intently at a spot on the bed than he was at me. A small blood spot on the bed. Though I was not an expert and had lost my parents before they had given me 'the talk', Mizoguchi had made sure that when I was growing up I learned about everything I needed to know.

My voice cracked as I had trouble dealing with the implications of revealing, "I... uh... I was a... dammit how do you say it in Japanese? I was... I mean that was my first... um... _time_."

Koyou's eyes went a little wider, guilt filled his face, "You were a virgi-"

"Do not get the wrong idea!" I clutched the towel around myself, panicking a little. I wasn't sure of how to deal with what was happening in my head. How to deal with what we'd done the night before.

Seeing my panic, Koyou grew more concerned and guilty, and moved closer as if he was going to come over and hold me.

"Don't touch me!" I snapped before he couldn't even stand, and immediately regretted it. I had spat out the wrong thing in my frantic state, "I mean... don't come over here. I am okay. It is a lot to process."

"I don't... I don't get it. Why would you give me your first time if you don't-"

"I am not in love with you... do not get the wrong idea." I repeated myself, which suited my mental state of running around in circles.

Then Koyou threw me a curve ball, "Then was it pity?"

He was obviously talking about his scars. Thinking back, I could understand why he might think that. After all, I had my own (much less severe and much less warranted) issues with my body. I could understand how much the mere thought crossing his mind must hurt. "No! Do you think I would just give you my first time out of pity? I don't pity you."

"Then why?" he doubted me, I could tell.

"I...," at first I still did not know, but as it milled about in my head with the thoughts of the pain that pity could inflict and the memories of my feelings the night before; I began to understand. That understanding began to calm me down, "What do they call it in Japanese? I understand your pain, because I feel the same kind of pain."

"Empathy. You empathize with me."

"Yes, if that is the right word, then what happened last night was because I empathize with you. I do not pity you. It is not like that. Do you understand what I am trying to say?"

"You had sex with me because we are both feeling the same pain and all that boiling up because of the insanity of yesterday made things... get complicated."

"Yes, exactly."

"I feel the same way."

I let out a sigh of relief, but felt the need to make things totally clear, "Just so we are clear, are you in love with me?"

"Do you want me to be?"

I scowled at him, "Do not play games with me right now, Koyou. That kind of answer makes it seem that you will lie if I say no and only tell the truth if I say yes. Speak honestly, no games."

He sighed, "It's not like that. I'm not in love with you right now." He turned to look at me, "I'm just not opposed to falling in love with you if you-"

"Do not." I replied firmly, "We already talked about this. I do not want love."

"Okay," He accepted the rejection so easily that it caught me off guard, "but what should we consider this? What are we now? Still just friends? Friends with benefits? Loveless lovers and nothing else? We need to clarify this."

I sat in on of the nearby chairs and thought on it as I watched him pull on his pants and stand up, "You are right. We should not leave this awkwardness in the air. We are mature-"

"Reasonably." he quipped as he strolled over and took a chair across from me.

I had to admit he had that right too, "_reasonably_ mature adults. We can handle this like it."

"We were friends before last night right?"

"Of course. I will admit you have grown on me, Monsieur Kou. Last night would not have happened if I didn't have at least _that_ much fondness for you."

"Then all I ask for is that not change. Anything extra is up to you."

I raised an eyebrow at him, unsure of how honest he was being, "Are you fishing for more sex and just trying to play it cool?"

"No." he replied so matter of factually about it that I was a little offended that he was telling the truth so completely, "I'm not opposed to it, but I don't need it."

I looked at him long and hard, "We... are very similar people at heart."

"I noticed."

We sat there in silence for several minutes. I glanced out the window and noticed it was dark but the rain had stopped. A nearby clock revealed that it was a little before midnight. Which reminded me, "We never sent our clothes into the laundry service."

Koyou nodded casually, "Yep. My pants are still wet."

I let out a heavy sigh, "They are probably closed by now."

Koyou just chuckled. It brought a smile to my face briefly, until I realized that I just couldn't shake the strange feeling I was having. Things still felt unclear. Honestly, I wasn't sure what I really wanted from Koyou, and that uncertainty scared me a little. I thought of calling Mizoguchi right then and telling him to bring us some clean clothes and a ride home, but I didn't. Instead, despite myself I found myself calling him only to let him know that we were fine and would be home the next day. We stayed the rest of the night alone together in that hotel. Koyou took the couch and let me have the bed.

And I... could not fall asleep.

Next Chapter: Confusion and Clarification

A/N: Next chapter the plot moves along, with Koyou having to explain many things to many people. Also, Mei and Koishii get a bit more attention, including further development to that scene where Placido (Primo) thought Mei resembled someone he knew (I'm sure you can guess who).


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Well this is slightly awkward but easily fixed. Due to localization shenanigans from Konami that long time fans of the card game should be very familiar with, I have been using the wrong English name for the Sacred Knight archetype that Sherry uses. This normally would not be an issue, but in chapter eight I had a bad guy using Noble Knights. Which is what Sherry's archetype is getting renamed to in its release outside Japan. From here on Sherry's cards will use the new name, if only because it would be weird making them be different archetypes in this story when they aren't in the actual card game. I will go back and revise chapter eight at some point, at which point I will delete this note.

Chapter 10: Confusion and Resolve

"Oh it is you, Lady Sherry." Mizoguchi stepped out from behind the corner he had taken cover behind and put down the wooden sword he had picked up to use to defend himself.

It dawned on me then that I had been thinking about the previous night so deeply that I had forgotten to give the signal that it was me before I came in. Of course Mizoguchi would roll to cover and arm himself. Sudden unexpected entrances had not been a pleasant surprise in fifteen years. Tired, I let myself slip back into French, "I'm sorry Mizoguchi. I'm so tired from yesterday that I didn't think about it."

Mizoguchi stuck to Japanese, probably as much to help me get used to it as for his own comfort, "You did not speak much of the details over the phone."

I sighed, We were attacked by a trio of Russians pretending to be French. They were using cards my father designed."

"Truly? I did not expect assassins wielding Noble Knights."

"I'm not sure if they were trying to get personal or just happened to use them. Either way, Yliaster has a sick sense of humor to be using my inheritance against me."

"Indeed. Regardless, I am glad you and Sir Kou were unharmed." Mizoguchi bowed respectfully, "Allow me to make you some tea, milady, and draw you a hot bath."

"That sounds really great right now." I sighed and sat in a nearby chair to relax.

To call the previous day chaotic would have been understating things. First was going on what was, whether it was purely business or not, probably the closest thing to a date I had ever been on. Then having it broken up by crazed thugs and a group of assassins wielding cards I never thought I would see again. After that... well the rain exposing Koyou and my insecurities for the other to see and the two of us getting caught up in and overwhelmed by the feelings of having found a kindred spirit. There was no denying that it was nice knowing that someone out there was like me, and I was relieved that our moment of weakness hadn't complicated our relationship... much. We'd talked it over and came to an understanding. It wasn't love that had overtaken our senses. Closer to loneliness but not quite that.

I took out the phone in my pocket and stared at it. Koyou had insisted on stopping by a store to replace his phone, and surprised me with one of the same model. It was a great deal more sophisticated that the disposable ones Mizoguchi and I had stuck to to avoid a money trail.

Speaking of my butler, "A new phone, milady?"

"Koyou bought it for me when he was replacing the one he lost in the fight. Apparently these newer phones have security measures to prevent hacking and unwanted GPS tracking. All this time avoiding internet and GPS phones, I never knew there were options to block the reasons to not have them."

"That was nice of Mr. Kou, but we must be especially careful now."

I nodded, "Yes. If this phone gets taken from me or I get captured while carrying it, they can track it back to Koyou."

"It looks expensive as well. Did you thank him properly?"

I blushed a little, thinking about how Koyou and I had made love the night before, but quickly pushed that aside, "I paid for the night in that hotel, the laundry service, and the food; which was about the same price."

"Ah."

I absentmindedly turned on the GPS tracking function of the phone. The only phones that could be tracked or track it were Koyou's and the ones on the same phone plan that he'd put the extra phone on, the rest of his immediate family. I put side the fact that I was on a family phone plan with him and stared at the little dot on the map that represented him. I wasn't even sure why, but I figured it had something to do with the left over confusion about what I really felt about him.

Thinking on it, something else came to mind. The day before, in that duel with the assassins he had shown a different side of himself that I had only seen glimpses of before. He had been angry, vengeful, and hadn't pulled any punches with them as he did in his duels with me. Even though he claimed he was not a psychic duelist he had sent that woman flying, breaking her arm in the process. She hadn't even be able to stand on her own. A week before that he had destroyed the trailer of a large shipping truck just by hitting it as hard as he could with the virtual solid system. If he was not a psychic duelist, it meant he had some other kind of power. A power he promised to use on my enemies, but never explained.

I had to learn more.

Mei's Perspective

"It's about time you called. I was worried sick!" Koishii complained into the house phone I'd been on my way to answer it, but the concerned card spirit had probably been lurking around it waiting, "That Koyou?"

Koishii nodded.

"Get on his case about it again for me. After leaving the party like that last night he has no business not calling for a day and a half. Any later and I would have to go to work not knowing what was going on with him."

"Your sister is pissed too." Koishii summarized. There was a pause as Koyou replied, "You dropped your phone? That explains why you weren't picking up but it wasn't off."

"I'm off to the academy."

Koishii motioned for me to wait, "Koyou said he wants to talk to us when he gets back."

"I have to go to work. When is he getting back?"

"When are you getting back, Kokou?" she paused again as he responded. Apparently the answer was good because she smiled wide, "That's great! Take all the time you need! We'll be here waiting." Another pause, "Alright, see you when you get back."

"What's the news?" I implored curiously.

"Hehe. Kokou's going to work things out with Yusei and Aki before he heads home!"

My eyes went wide, "What?"

"He's going to talk to them right now!" Koishii hopped up and down excitedly, "He's going to be okay again!"

"I... I can't believe it. I mean, he's really going to keep his word from last night? That's great news." I let out a sigh of relief, "I'm so relieved. He's been tying himself up in knots for so long..."

"Yeah I know."

"It's a good day. I'll be on the edge of my seat all day at work today. Speaking of which I better get going. I don't want to be late."

"See you tonight!"

I nodded and headed out the door, making the short trip across the sheet to the school. There was a spring in my step even when I noticed the limo of that arrogant Lester kid had just dropped him off and his butler Primo rounded the front of the car. He didn't seem to notice me at first, but when he looked up he got that same stunned look on his face, as if the entire universe was exploding in front of him. The man looked away from me and moved more quickly to the driver's side door of the car.

I was in a good mood, so I decided to say, "Hello, Mr. Primo. How are you this afternoon? Lester getting back from lunch?"

The man turned and bowed politely, which was as stiff and unnatural as the smile on his face. The smile was as averted in its aim as his eyes, "Ms. Kou, I didn't expect to run into you again. How are you?"

"I work here Mr. Primo." I replied with a teasing smile, "Despite that I'm fine."

Primo didn't pick up on my joke, in fact he winced a little at my humor.

"Oh, come on, the joke wasn't that bad."

"Forgive me, I'm a bit tired today. Lester has me jumping through far more hoops than necessary."

"He seems the type."

"Is he causing trouble?"

"Not really. He's getting along well enough, but he's far too used to buying his friends. I'm trying to help him out with that as much as I can, but he's set in his ways."

"Yes, he really is."

The conversation had gotten a bit serious, so I decided to ask a sensitive question that I'd been wondering, "Pardon me for asking something very personal, but does he have a good relationship with his parents?"

Primo's eyes went slightly wide in a surprised, pained expression, "They... his parents I mean, are dead."

"Ah, I'm sorry for prying. I mean... I suspected from what I've seen of him, but I shouldn't have brought it up so casually."

"It's... fine. It happened a lo-"

Suddenly the sound of a duel runner driving far too fast pulled our attention down the street.

"Look out!" Primo reached to pull me out of the way, his expression filled with horror but his actions too slow.

The runner was coming far too fast for me to react, but it wasn't coming directly at me. Instead the rider reached out with a cuff and latched it onto my arm, yanking me off my feet and dragging me alongside his runner. I was mostly off the ground, but my feet still still skidded along the asphalt as my assailant drove on. Yelling in as much fear as you'd expect, I pulled desperately at the handcuffs binding me to the runner.

Crazed, the rider cackled at me, "Your brother should really be more careful when he's butting into things that don't concern him!"

Fear was replaced with anger, "Leave us alone!"

"It's his fault I'm doing this! Sasha left me after what he did to us! He takes someone from me, and I just so happen to come across an unfortunate accident involving his sister!"

"Screw you!" Pulling out my duel disk and clipping it on my cuffed arm, I slotted my deck, started the duel system up, and summoned a monster with the projector angled in front of him.

"Wha-"

Turning too late, the bastard collided with the virtual solid hologram and was flung a short distance away from his runner, which I was still attached to. I was thrown over the bike as it tumbled, the handcuffs holding fast and causing my shoulder to yank out of socket and my elbow to shatter when I hit the ground. I'm not totally sure what happened after that, I'm pretty sure I saw him starting to get up, and as everything went black a slender figure entering my field of vision.

When I woke up I was in a hospital room. Confused, I looked around and spotted Primo glaring angrily out of the window, so spoke up, "Primo? What happened?"

The butler turned to me, putting on his usual fake expression again, "Ah, you're awake. That's good. When I saw you crash so violently I thought the worst. You are remarkably durable."

"I'll take that as a compliment," I gave him a brief smile, "but again, what happened? Where's that psychopath?"

The man flinched away from my smile for some reason, "He died from his injuries. Don't let it bother you. It may sound harsh, but somebody that would do something like that to an innocent school teacher had it coming."

_'Odd,'_ I thought to myself, _'I am pretty sure I saw him moving. Oh well. Must have been my imagination.'_ "I'm not too upset, for that very reason."

Primo avoided looking at me, bowing again as he started to excuse himself, "Now that you are awake I will depart."

Before he could reach the door I stopped him, "Wait, Primo, I want to ask you something."

He turned, "Oh?"

"It may be prying again, but why do you have such strange expressions when you look at me? You said I remind you of someone you knew... may I ask who?"

Primo's expression became distant and pained, "I suppose there is no harm in telling you. I... I was in a war years ago. My squad was small because our forces were spread too thin, making guerrilla strikes against the enemy... tanks. So small that it was only me and one woman."

"And I remind you of her?"

Primo nodded, "You look _exactly_ like her. You even act the same. Forgive my uncomfortable attitude around you. It's just... over the long time we worked together, being the only other person I saw for such a long time... and much more than just the loneliness of the war, I fell in love with her." he paused, assailed by his memories for a moment, "I was going to tell her one day, but I didn't get the chance before that blast killed her."

I bit my lip, "What is with me today and prying into things I shouldn't. I'm sorry. I don't know how that feels, but I have lost someone close to me before. My father... died protecting me."

"My condolences." Primo seemed a little surprised, the look joined by something else that I couldn't identify, "I know how that feels myself. Growing up in a war-torn land means you lose a lot of things."

"Oh... there I go again. I was trying to let you know I could sympathize, but I stepped on another landmine."

Primo looked me in the eyes and smiled at my regretful expression, "You are as good-natured as you are durable, Ms. Kou."

"I try." I looked at the cast on my arm thoughtfully, then decided to get to know the man better, "Once I get released, how about I treat you to lunch sometime to repay you for helping me?"

"That's not necessary." Primo became very slightly frantic.

"I insist. I promise I won't make you remember anything bad again if I can help it."

Looking away, Primo opened his mouth to answer, but his phone rang. Looking at it he looked to me, "I have to take this, it's Lester."

The man took his leave without answering my invitation. I didn't hear what they were talking about. I didn't hear Primo call Lester 'Lucciano', or 'Lucciano' call Primo 'Placido' and complain about him killing one of their assassins. I didn't hear Placido cut through Lucciano's attitude and guess correctly that the boy's plan to get at Luna had failed. I didn't hear any of that conversation that revealed that they were agents of Yliaster, but I would find out soon enough when Koishii ran in, worried over my condition.

"Mei! I came as soon as I could. What happened, was it Yliaster with you too?"

"Me too?" I went wide-eyed at her wording, "Who did they attack?"

"Leo and Luna."

I gasped.

"You were right about Lester all along. He was some lunatic named Lucciano is disguise. He had a Machine Emperor, a different one than the one that Koyou and Yusei faced."

"There's more than one? I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but..." I thought back to Primo's attitude and actions, and how he had apparently saved my life. Why would he do that if he were the enemy? Did I remind him that much of his lost love?

"What happened to you? The doctors said you were hit by a duel runner. Was it them?"

My attacker's ranting about getting revenge on my brother came back to foreground of my mind, and I remembered how Koyou was finally starting to get better and put aside his self-hate and anger. So I decided to lie, "No, it was just some idiot passing through a school zone far too fast. I'm just glad it hit me and not a student. At least I have a bit of the supernatural protecting me."

"God, you are so unlucky."

"Yeah, but I'm lucky too. If you saw what happened you'd wonder how I only have a busted arm. Anyway, where's everyone?"

"Koyou is dealing with the fallout from Lucciano's attack with the Signers and working things out with them. When he heard you were hurt they all decided to head this way. They should be here soon. Mom... had a bit of a scare but she's fine."

"A scare?"

"She's totally fine. Just the stress and her wonky hormones from the pregnancy. She got a bit light-headed. The doctors are checking her out, but it's only procedure."

"Honest?"

Koishii nodded, "Honest. I even made sure she wasn't lying to me by asking the doctor."

I let out a sigh of relief, "So much going on."

"Yeah I know. It only gets worse from here though. I remember back in the day when Kai and Mom were dealing with these kinds of things with Jay-kun. It always gets worse from this point."

"We have to be ready. I need to get even stronger."

"You don't need to, Kokou and the rest will protect us."

I looked at her sternly, "Are you really fine with sitting back and watching everyone you care about putting their lives on the line while you do nothing?"

She didn't have to think long, "Not really."

"Then we need to get stronger. Strong enough to protect them. To make sure we don't lose anyone else."

Koishii nodded.

Next Chapter: Clarity

A/N: This chapter was a bit short due to cutting the last chapter out of it for reasons discussed last chapter. I also changed around my plans for it a bit. Instead of this chapter, Koyou will deal with clearing the air next chapter. In fact, for the first time this season I will be jumping perspectives between chapters as it will start in Koyou's point of view. Also, although I said this season would be based on how I think Over the Nexus should have been, this fic is also heavy in past canon do the actual events I would have had in Over the Nexus are a bit muddled by it. At some point I will post what I would have done to fix the plot of Over the Nexus, free of the ongoing canon of this series.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Clarity

"This doesn't make any sense!" Leo exclaimed to us, "His mansion was right here! It was enormous!"

Yusei turned to me, "What's your take on this, Koyou?"

We'd all been called together by Luna's desperation when she was lured into a duel with a Machine Emperor, a new one, wielded by the mysterious transfer student we'd found out was actually named Lucciano and not Lester. However a child as a agent of Yliaster made more sense than vanishing buildings. I studied the vacant lot carefully, stepping into it to see if it were some kind of cloaking system. It wasn't. Crouching, I ran my hands in the patch of grass near my feet.

"There's totally intact bits of grass here. No bends or crushed parts or anything." I looked to Yusei, "I'm not saying he's mistaken, but I am saying it's like there was never a building here. They didn't just take the building away somehow. They made it like it was never here."

Crow scratched his head, "How is that even possible?"

"Barring the issue of removing a whole building this fast being impossible, the grass could have been placed here, but that would take even more time and an absurd amount of attention to detail. There's something that explains both, but the amount of energy needed would be immense and they'd need tech at least a couple years ahead of ours."

Yusei, the tech whiz that he was, connected the dots and figured out what I was referring to, "A virtual solid hologram like duel disks emit could be set to be solid but only in portions so it wouldn't damage the area. A whole building would be just as weightless as light."

I nodded, "But something the size and detail of a building, solid enough to walk in, with zoned off areas of solidity, and so convincing that you can't tell it's CG? That's beyond any tech I've ever heard of, but it's the only thing I can think of."

Jack grunted in frustration, "It also doesn't explain why nobody but us remembers Lester."

"Come to think of it. I know we're Signers so we might have protection from whatever did it, but why are Crow and Leo fine? They aren't Signers. Which also begs the question why did Crow get the same feeling that Luna was in danger?"

Crow shrugged, "I dunno. I just got the feeling I was needed and followed it."

"You might be a Signer after all." I mused.

Aki followed up on my theory, "The tail mark hasn't reappeared since the head went to Yusei, maybe it went to Crow and just hasn't awakened?"

"Why would I be a Signer?"

"You did face one of the Dark Signers back then." Aki reminded, "When Greiger came towards the orphanage you rode out and defeated him."

Crow frowned, "Yeah. I suppose it kinda makes a bit of sense. I don't feel like a did much though."

"Which is probably why your mark isn't awake." I guessed, "The powers seem to be closely tied to emotions. Which is why I haven't been able to control mine very well these past few months and none of you felt that I was in danger when I dueled Ghost. My powers weren't working right... I wasn't working right."

Aki's face fell, "Koyou, about that-"

"Not right now, Aki. We can talk about that later. I need to check on my family and see if they were affected by the memory thing. If not, it might explain why Leo wasn't either. Maybe him sharing genes with Luna protected him."

"Solid guess." Jack noted.

I dialed Mei for the quickest comparison. After all, Leo and Luna are twins and so are Mei and I. However, it was Koishii that picked up, sounding freaked out and worried, "Kokou-kun!"

"Koishii? What's wrong? Why do you have Mei's phone?"

Everyone looked at me, concerned and hanging on for an update on the situation.

Koishii was a bit frantic in her reply, "Mei was hit by someone on a duel runner."

"What?"

Crow marched towards me, his face wracked with worry, "What's with that reaction? What's wrong with Mei?"

"Koishii, is she okay? How bad is it?"

"I followed in the car when she was taken to the hospital. I haven't seen her yet but the doctor says she's going to be okay. He didn't say how bad she was."

"Find out and call me back! I'm with Crow, Yusei, and the rest we'll head your way right now. Neo Domino General Hospital right?"

"Yeah."

"See you in a few minutes."

"Y-yeah."

Crow grabbed me as I hanged up the phone, "Is Mei okay?"

"All the doctors have said is that she'll be fine, they didn't say how bad she was but she can't be in critical condition or anything if they said that much." I took the time to type out a text message to Sherry, 'Not available today unless it's life-or-death. My sister was hit by a duel runner and is in the hospital. She's going to be okay, but I'm not sure if it's Yliaster or not. I'll let you know. I'll be at Neo Domino General Hospital if you need me.'

"What are you doing, Koyou!" Crow shouted from his runner. In fact everyone had quickly made their way onto their rides. "Come on!"

We were at the hospital and heading down down the hall towards Mei's room within twenty minutes, but I stopped the group before we all went in, "We shouldn't all go in at once after she's had a shock. Crow, you go first."

"You sure, man? She's your sister." the man was trying to be considerate, but was pretty much already reaching for the door.

"Yeah. I can go second."

He was already going in before the second sentence was out of my mouth, "Thanks."

It made me feel a bit better knowing that he cared so much about my sister. I mean, even though I wasn't entirely sure what brought them together to begin with it was hard to play the role of the overly protective brother when he was so clearly head over heels for her. I let out a deep breath of anxiety as I shifted my weight from one foot to the other.

Jack broke the tension, "Do you think it was Yliaster? It seems like it would be beneath them to go after our families, but didn't your mother say something about her inheriting some kind of power?"

"I don't know. It doesn't seem like something they'd do. At least not directly. I mean, if they were after her to get to me they'd have kidnapped her right? If they went after her because of her power then they would probably dueled her like with Luna. It doesn't really add up. Why would Yliaster try to kill her? There's no direct motive to it."

"Doesn't mean they wouldn't do it. We are talking about lunatics here."

"Lunatics smart enough to be manipulating things from behind the scenes for thousands of years."

"Point taken."

Looking around the group, Leo and Luna were sitting on some nearby chairs, fretting over the condition of their friend and teacher, Jack (ever the 'punch them back' type) was frustrated more than he was anxious, and Aki and Yusei both looked just as awkward as they looked worried. Yusei was just harder to read because he wasn't as openly expressive as most people. It was obvious though that they both wanted to ask me the same thing, about last night at the party and if it had anything to do with Mei's 'accident'.

"I don't know if it's my fault or not." I answered Yusei.

"I wasn't blaming you."

"I know you weren't, but it's obvious you wanted to ask if that business with Sherry last night could have something to do with this, and honestly I don't know. They shouldn't know I'm involved with Sherry. I was careful. At least I'm pretty sure I was."

Aki obviously wanted to know what was going on with me and Sherry.

"It's not what you're thinking, Aki." I somewhat lied. I mean, sure Sherry and I had had sex, but it was mostly out of loneliness and a desire for acceptance. We weren't dating or anything. Though I wasn't sure how much of a lie it really was, "We're not seeing each other or anything. I'm just helping her investigate Yliaster."

"She tried to get Yusei on her WRGP team to do just that." Aki reminded, implying a question.

One I answered, "And I applied for the position and took the open spot."

Jack broke in, "Wait a minute, you mean you joined an opposing team for the WRGP? What are you getting at?"

"Jack, back off." Yusei interjected, then turned to me, "I know this isn't the time for this discussion, but did you join her because-"

"Of the fight between us? No." It was mostly the truth. It was the 'mostly' part that made me be honest and add, "Not entirely. It wasn't anywhere near the main reason. I didn't join her to spite you, let's phrase it that way. Now can we talk about this later?"

"Of course."

"I was going to keep the promise I made last night and explain everything, I swear. I was even on the way to do it when I felt Luna in trouble."

Something seemed to occur to Yusei, as I could tell dots were connecting in his head that brought a small smile to his face, "That's why your mark started working normally again. You wanted to restore our broken bonds."

"I guess."

Crow came out, looking relieved, "Koyou, she wants to talk to you."

I went right in without saying anything else and Crow stayed outside to give us some family time. Mei was sitting there in the bed looking a bit scuffed and with a cast on her arm, which was in a sling, but otherwise fine. Koishii was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, but that didn't really matter, "Mei, are you okay? What happened?"

She rolled her eyes, "You people act like I should be dying or something. What did Koishii even tell you?"

Koishii got defensive, "I was worried! The doctors weren't saying anything!"

My sister beamed a smile at her to let her know she wasn't really angry, then turned back to me, "I'm fine. It was just some jerk driving too fast. He lost control of his runner and spun out. I just happened to be unlucky. Or lucky if you consider it could have been worse. The doctors are just keeping me in for some more tests to make sure."

"How do you feel?"

"Like I got hit by a duel runner." Mei joked, "Seriously though, I'm fine. My arm hurts a little but they gave me some pain killers for that."

I let out a sigh of relief, "Thank god. If you'd gotten hurt because of this world-saving nonsense again."

"It had nothing to do with that."

"I just can't stand the thought that you could have gotten caught in the crossfire again, Mei. Last time you nearly died."

"Yeah, but last time I was blasted into the ocean by a giant evil monkey during a duel with your reanimated corpse that was serving as the vessel for an avatar of pure evil. If I can live through_ that_ I think getting hit by a bike is child's play."

I had to chuckled a little at that, "Yeah, zombies wielding building-sized monkeys does make it sound rather insignificant by comparison."

Mei got to the point, "What I wanted to talk to you about was what happened last night at the party. You ran out of there with Sherry like someone was after you. Not to mention you looked like you were trying to be in disguise. What's she gotten you involved in?"

"Honestly? Other than what I was already involved in with Yliaster, I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"They want her dead, but she hasn't told me why yet."

"That's okay with you? What if they find out you're with her? They could decide to kill you instead of duel you?"

"I'm being careful about it."

Mei bit something back, then changed to something else, "You're risking your life and don't even care why? What is she to you? You were out with her all night."

"It's not like that." I again told a half truth, "They killed her parents over whatever it is. I can't just pry into that kind of thing. I just want to help her. I can relate to what she's going through." I paused, "Honestly, sometimes she reminds me of how I was a few weeks ago before..." it suddenly dawned on me that meeting Sherry had been what had pulled me out of the angry depression I was in. I mean, I was still angry and sad, but it was so much smaller it might as well have been gone by comparison, "before I met her."

Mei gave me a funny look, "So you don't have a thing for the girl that you say changed your life? And you want me to believe you?"

"Mei its not-"

"This is just like with-"

"Whoa! Whoa!" I cut her off before she said something unforgivable, "You will not like the direction you are taking that sentence, Mei! Don't you dare bring Aki into this."

"I'm just trying to protect you. You have a soft spot for troubled girls and it keeps biting you in the rear."

"This conversation is over. I am not getting into this argument again." I stated firmly. Trying to keep my anger in check, I looked around the room and noticed someone missing, "Changing the subject, where's Mom? I thought she'd be in here."

Mei's expression shifted, "Don't worry about it too much, but she's getting examined in the clinic. She just got a bit lightheaded from the stress and her already wonky hormones. They are just making sure everything's okay to be absolutely sure."

"That's a relief. I'll go check on her if we're done here."

"We aren't. I'm not going to drop this issue that easily Koyou, I'm worried about you."

There was suddenly a very weirdly timed knock on the door and Crow popped his head in, "Sorry to interrupt, but that Sherry chick just got here; and I thought Koyou'd want to know."

Mei frowned, "Send her in, Crow."

"Mei." I implored, "It's really not like that."

"Send her in."

Crow was hesitant, but knew better than to get involved by arguing. "Alright. If you're sure."

My stomach sank.

Sherry's Perspective

I wasn't entirely sure what made me go to the hospital. I wasn't the type to get very attached to people. Even if I'd gotten close to Koyou (in more than one way), it really wasn't my place to visit his sister in the hospital. Regardless I took the effort of dressing up like a college student, putting my hair up, and wearing glasses to conceal my identity. It got even more awkward when I turned to the hall and spotted all of Yusei's group waiting outside the room with Koyou nowhere to be seen. Despite my discomfort, I approached.

And was recognized immediately, "Sherry?"

Aki shot me a look I couldn't read, but I was pretty sure she didn't like me very much.

I put on my usual casual act, cutting out the flirty smile because of the circumstances, "How is Koyou's sister? Koyou texted me abou-"

"Her name is Mei." Aki interrupted. Yes she indeed didn't like me. Which was odd. The last time I had seen her she'd gone from guarded to awestruck, but I suppose seeing me with Koyou at the party had something to do with it. I got the feeling there was baggage between them that I didn't know about. Her attitude had me guessing that she was his ex.

"Sorry, I did not know her name."

Yusei was more obliging, "Mei is fine. Thanks for checking in. I'm sure Koyou would appreciate you were worried."

"I-" I nearly got defensive about it, which caught me by surprise. Getting that way about it made no sense. "Anyway, was it Yliaster?"

One of them that I didn't know with spiky orange hair spoke up, "No. Just some random guy driving recklessly. The dumb sap got the worst of it though. He's dead." Moving towards the door to the hospital room, he changed subjects "Koyou's inside, I'll let him know you're here."

"Ah, you don't have to do that. I can wait."

He did it anyway, ""Sorry to interrupt, but that Sherry chick just got here; and I thought Koyou'd want to know."

I could see Mei's sour expression through the gap in the doorway, "Send her in, Crow."

"Mei. It's really not like that."

"Send her in."

'Crow' cringed a little. "Alright. If you're sure."

My stomach sank, but I went in when Crow opened the way for me, I put on a friendly smile, "I am glad you are okay. I know how much Ko-"

"Crow, close the door."

I looked behind me as Crow gave me an apologetic look and closed the door like he was taking shelter from a grenade. I chuckled awkwardly, "Why do I get the feeling that all the women in Koyou's life hate me?"

A girl I hadn't noticed before, Koyou's other sister, drew my attention, replying with a glare that could burn through steel, "Because we do. Well... Mom doesn't."

"Thank God for small favors." I joked.

"That isn't small. Heaven help you if Mom did hate you."

Koyou let out an awkward chuckle of his own, "Yeah, the last person she was really mad at she tried to run over with a runner and beat to death."

My eyes went wide and I raised an eyebrow at that. She'd seemed like such a kind woman.

Koyou backpedaled, "I kid, that guy really really deserved it."

"So the homicidal rage wasn't a joke?"

The white-haired sister gave a deadpan, "No."

Mei broke into the sitcom insanity, "Stop avoiding the issue. I want to discuss something serious with you."

"Mei..." Koyou tried to talk her down.

"Koyou, go check on Mom."

"No. I'm not leaving Sherry for you two to interrogate."

Mei turned to the other sister, "Koishii, go with him. I wasn't intending to gang up on her anyway."

"If you say so."

"That only slightly improves the situation." Koyou pressed.

I sighed, "Koyou, do what she says. She does not seem the type to budge and I'd rather not waste my time trying to make her. I can take a little sisterly distrust."

Koyou hesitated, "Are you sure?"

"Yes. Go."

"Alright." he turned back to his sister, "Don't get carried away."

"I won't."

The others cleared out and nothing was said until it was just us in the room.

She got right to the point, "What is your relationship with my brother?"

I didn't hesitate at all, "Partners. He is on my team for the WRGP."

"Nothing else?"

"Nothing."

There must have been some hitch in my voice I wasn't aware of, "You're lying."

"No, I'm-"

"You are. I can tell. Listen, I don't know if he told you, but my brother just got out of a serious relationship and a few months ago we lost our father. He's vulnerable right now."

I couldn't help but think back to the night before, how he'd been so scared of someone seeing his scars. For some reason, Mei presuming to understand Koyou's pain pissed me off, "Did you even understand what he's going through?"

"Of course I do."

"I get the feeling I know your brother better than you do."

I hit a nerve. It was pretty obvious that I had when Mei got up and marched over to me with a glare and a limp, "You've got some nerve. Unlike someone else in this room I actually care about Koyou. I'm not just using him for whatever you want him for."

"You like making assumptions don't you?"

"Bitch, I will shove this cast so far down your throat that I'll be able to untie those ugly shoes you're wearing."

"Oo, got a tongue on you too. That trash talk had multiple layers. Kudos."

"Is this all a game to you?"

"There you go with the presumptions again." I returned her glare and poked her in the shoulder, "Koyou _asked_ to join my team, and I _let_ him on my team because I needed an third person for my team. I'm not interested in any complications but they keep popping up."

"Did he ask for one of the assassin's after you to track down his sister and try to kill her?"

That knocked me off my game, "Wha- It _was_ Yliaster?"

"I didn't tell the others because I _care_ about Koyou." she pushed, "If he thought I nearly died because of him..." she paused, choking back painful thoughts, "Did he ever tell you how our father died?"

"No."

"Protecting us. Me more specifically, but he was trying to protect both of us. Even if he won't admit it, Koyou blames himself. Then here you come putting his entire family's life in danger."

"I was careful."

"Not careful enough obviously."

I had no defense against that, she was right.

"You're going to tell me why you are putting him and us in this kind of danger, and you are going to tell me right now. Then you're going to tell Koyou, 'cause God help him he's too kind to ever ask you himself."

You know. Despite the fact we never got along and would never be what you'd call buddies, I have to admit that was the moment I started liking Koyou's sister. She cared a lot about her brother and refused to take any nonsense from anyone. I'd never admit it to her, but I admired her attitude and strength. Getting hit by a runner had only pissed her off. So I decided to trust her. Besides, I owed her – and Koyou – that much. In hindsight it really didn't make any sense that I hadn't told Koyou given the fact I trusted him enough to sleep with him.

So I started my strange, painful story from the beginning.

Koyou's Perspective

I was only at the clinic with Mom for a few minutes, before I came out and noticed Yusei and Aki standing outside waiting for me. Yusei posed the question, "How is she?"

"Totally fine. It was just stress and pregnancy throwing her hormones out of whack. There weren't any complications."

"That's good."

Aki, who was a lot closer with my mother, let out a breath of relief, "Thank God. I was really worried. She's always been so kind to me. Mrs. Kou's like a second mother to me."

"I know." I looked away, sill having a hard time looking at Aki directly. Instead I looked at Yusei, "Listen, now that everything's calmed down, can we talk? I need to get a lot of things off my chest and apologize for most of them while I'm at it."

"Sure. Let's go somewhere a bit more private." Yusei motioned toward a bench that was off by itself on the far side of the hall. When we went over, He let Aki and I take a seat and stayed standing.

Which made talking to him so awkward that I sharply stood back up before I began, "Listen, Yusei... I'm..." it was hard to find words for what I needed to say.

"Take your time."

I sighed, "I don't hate you okay? Not really. There was a little while there that I did, but I never hated you completely."

"I'm glad to hear that. I did wonder."

"I was acting like a jerk, I know."

"You had your reasons."

At that, I let out a frustrated sigh, "And that right there is one of them."

"Huh?"

"You're so dang nice and understanding. Pisses me off sometimes even though it's one reason you're my friend."

Yusei chuckled a little despite himself, "Actually I get that a lot. Jack told me the same thing when we made up."

"I never really hated you. It was more that I was hating myself."

Yusei frowned, and sighed heavily, "Listen Koyou, I know what you're going to say after this and I get it. I understand what's been bothering you."

"You do? Everything?" I gave him a skeptical look.

"Probably most of it. Remember the duel with Goodwin?"

Thinking back, I recalled what he was talking about, "The time I gave you that shadow draw."

Yusei nodded.

Aki was lost in the conversation, "What are you talking about?"

"At the end of that duel Koyou gave me a bit of the power he inherited from his father and that let me draw that spell at the end. To do that he had to call on all the pain and suffering he had inside him and the resolve to move past it, and then give it to me. So everything negative he was feeling and the strength to overcome it came to me."

I sat down hard and put my head in my hands, "Agh, I forgot about that! That's so embarrassing!"

Aki looked at me, confused.

I fessed up. Even though Yusei understood it, saying it... admitting it to his face, was something I had to do. "All this time, some part of me has been jealous of Yusei. A part of me was mad at him for being the super-duelist hero that everyone liked and looked up to." I looked straight at Yusei and stated it frankly, "You may not think so highly of yourself Yusei, but your everything I've always wanted to be and you don't even have to try. It's just natural. That burned me up a little inside."

"I didn't know you thought that much of me, but I knew you were gong through those kinds of feelings. I just didn't know how to approach you about it. How do you talk to a friend about them being jealous of you without sounding like a jerk?"

"Yeah."

"I'm not that great, Koyou."

"You're humble too."

Yusei blushed a little, and laughed, "Honestly though, I don't hold it against you. I get it. Those kinds of feelings are totally normal. Not being jealous of me specifically... I mean being jealous of people you admire in general."

"I know what you mean."

"Honestly Koyou, I was a bit jealous of you over a few things. Your loving family, your superpowers, lots of things. Being a little envious doesn't make you a bad person or a bad friend."

I laughed a bit at the irony, "It bothered me though. It's just how I am... I... just couldn't forgive myself for hating a friend even a little tiny bit."

"The fact that you care that much about your friends in one of the reasons I like you so much."

"Annoying as hell to put up with on my end though." I quipped.

Yusei glanced at Aki, "Listen, I also know that you thought Aki and I were interested in each other. Was that what caused you two to break up?"

Aki tensed at the sentence almost from the start.

For her sake, I steered the discussion away from her feelings for him and told a part of the truth. Something I needed to clear up with Aki anyway, "As much as it pains me to admit it, we broke up because I couldn't trust her."

She looked at me, surprised.

"I was always thinking she really liked you, Yusei, but that wasn't what destroyed our relationship really. I did."

"Koyou, don't blame yourself. I..." Aki tried to reassure me, to take the blame she felt she deserved. She might have deserved a bit, but not as much as she wanted to take.

"I'm just telling it how it is. I drove you away because I couldn't trust you. The real issue wasn't even my jealousy." I took a deep breath, "I never told you guys, but when I was struggling to contain the Light and Dark and manifested Dark Signers powers... it wasn't just a mental struggle."

"What do you mean?" Yusei asked.

"They literally tried to burn their way out of me. Then when I vanished art of that whole trial to regain myself got even more taxing." I looked at Aki, "I kept my distance from you after the war because of what it did to me. The few times we were ever intimate I still kept you from taking my shirt off because I couldn't stand the thought of seeing you repulsed or pitying me." I put my face in my hands and swallowed hard, "There are scars all over my torso. Big ones."

Both of them were taken aback, but it was Yusei that spoke, "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"I was scared. Scared that you'd pity me."

"Then I won't." he answered simply.

Aki teared up, as I expected, "Koyou... I would never be repulsed by you. You could have just told me that was what it was... I thought..."

"I hurt you, I know. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

"I know you didn't." Aki choked mack her tears, trying not to think of how she had put the final nail in the coffin of our relationship. At least she wasn't trying to carry all the blame anymore.

Yusei, not knowing everything, tried to patch things up between the two of us, "Now that you know the truth, you two can-"

"That ship sailed, Yusei. Don't go there. I'm sorry, but there's some things about it that are private."

He looked to Aki. She was calming down and wiping her tears but still heavy hearted, "Yeah. There were other reasons we broke up. There's not really any going back to that now." She turned to me, "Can you ever forgive me? I'd hate to lose you completely because of... that."

"Enough to be friends again... I don't hate you nearly as much as I used to."

"I'm so sorry."

"I know... you didn't mean to hurt me. Just like I didn't mean to hurt you. It was a just fate. Nobody did anything wrong. I accept that now."

"Then are we all okay now?" Yusei asked hopefully.

I managed a smile. A heavy one, but a smile, "Yeah. We're cool."

Aki smiled her own weighted smile, "I'm glad. I still apologies a lot though. I still feel like I haven't done that enough."

I laughed a bit and shrugged. "Whatever."

"Alright, as long as you two are getting along again I won't complain." Yusei shrugged, but then he remembered something, "Hey, Koyou, if you didn't join Sherry to spite us, then why did you? You could help her without joining her team and going against us right?"

I smiled, "That's the reason I joined her, right there."

"Huh?"

"After all I can't duel you in the tournament if we're on the same team."

Yusei smiled right back at me, "I look forward to it."

"Let's make a promise. We'll face each other in the WTGP when we think we've found a solution to the synchro problem or in the finals. We can put our new tactic to a real test. Sound good?"

"Sound's great."

Sherry's Perspective

Even telling Mei my story and being totally honest with her had not won her over, but honestly I was not expecting it to. I also wasn't expecting to see Koyou with Yusei and Aki outside the clinic when I set out to find him. I didn't expect to see him smiling at them... completely content. I was just as surprised at m conflicting emotions about it. Was I really so petty? Why was I mad about it? Why the hell did I turn around and leave?

Next Chapter: Alone

A/N: Next chapter will be pretty Sherry intensive. Major plot events, emotional conflict, turmoil, and character development ahoy! If you enjoyed the chapter or have constructive critique, make sure you let me know.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Sorry for the delay, I was having health AND computer issues all while trying to get a company started up and balance an actual day job too. Not a good month lol.

Chapter 12: Alone Part 1 – Nobody to Trust

I stopped in a bathroom on my way out of the hospital to check the disguise I had donned for the visit. The urge to splash cold water on my face to clear my head was overwhelming, but I fought it. I was wearing makeup after all so doing that would wash away a part of the ruse. Makeup, somewhat large but not attention grabbing earrings, trendy glasses with gold-colored frames and lightly tinted lenses, my hair up in a hat is such a way to make it seem like my hair was shorter, all brought together by casual wear that was a common style among college students. All of that attention to detail into concealing myself so that I would not be linked to Koyou's family and endanger them. Despite how illogical it was, I found myself more bothered by the fact that he had been casually talking with his former friends, as if they had never had a fight at all, than the fact that I'd not long before learned Yliaster had discovered our partnership. In fact, for some reason him talking to his old friends with a smile drove all thoughts of the danger he was in from my mind. All I could think about was how it felt like his wasn't in as much pain as I had thought. I felt a bit betrayed.

Boy did I want to clear my head right then.

Marching out of the building, I was still too caught up in selfish, illogical angst to warn Koyou. Even though Mei had told me to keep the attack on her a secret I still could have lied and made something up to explain how I knew he was in danger, but I didn't. I just left, reaching into my pocket for my phone as I walked down the street. I'd left my distinct-looking runner behind and caught a bus, but I didn't feel like public transportation right then.

Fate had other things in mind though, "Dammit, I left my phone at the apartment when I changed."

With a sigh, I trudged back to the bus stop. The sign read the next one wouldn't be around for another half hour, a bit of information that was greeted with another sigh. Looking around, there was a coffee shop open, so I ventured in and up to the counter, calling up the willpower to put on an exchange student act, faking less fluent Japanese, "Hello. My name is Anna Morris. Do you speak English?"

The clerk, a perky looking brown-haired girl that was probably even younger than Koyou, tried her best to answer in legitimately bad English, "My name is Stephanie. Sorry, I do not speak English."

I feigned disappointment and started adding pantomiming my question to the fake poor speech, "May _I_ use the _phone_?"

"The phone? Normally not, but... I mean," she tried to speak in English, "Not good, um... boss get angry?"

"Your boss will be mad?" I 'tried' to confirm what she was saying.

She nodded, but thought on it, and tried to see if I could understand enough Japanese to know what "I will ask if he will say yes." meant, speaking slowly and clearly.

"You will ask?" I repeated in English, then in Japanese, "Ask him?"

She nodded, "Yes, I will ask him. Wait here."

I nodded and donned a thankful smile that was as fake as the guise I had assumed. Beneath it I was even more tired than I had been before. For fifteen years I had been running for my life while trying to find my way to the truth behind my parents' murder. Posing as various other people, rarely using the same set of identities for too long, whenever I went outside. Even the me I used for dueling was the guise of a mysterious male duelist. I never went outside as myself unless I was baiting the enemy in, facing attacks on my own terms. It was tiring. Thinking on it though, it occurred to me that I couldn't really say that I was myself indoors either. I had always spent all my time working towards revenge or resting so that I could work towards revenge more. For the first time I found myself wondering if there really was a me at all.

My anger and sadness was all I was, and I'd thought Koyou was the same way, maybe a little better off but still dealing with the same problem. There he had been though, talking contently with the people I got the impression were a major source of his pain. I felt a little betrayed. I'd let myself be... Well I let myself _be_ when I was around him. Even then I was aware that Koyou was the only reason I wondered or even cared if I was anything beyond my revenge. He was bringing so many complications that I didn't need, and then had the nerve to...

"Stephanie told me you need to use the phone?" a mild mannered voice pulled me out of my thoughts. The man was wearing a name tag that made clear that he was the owner of the place, and he was tall, even by non-Japanese standards. He spoke with an accent, but was obviously fluent in English, "I normally don't allow customers to use the business phone, but is it an emergency?"

"Ah, my bike broke down and I need to get somewhere quickly. I would wait for the bus, but I'm already going to be late at this rate."

"Hm. I suppose I could let you use my phone. I prefer keping the business line open."

"Understandable. Thank you so much, Sir."

I took the cellphone he pulled from his pocket and offered me and dialed in the number for the hotel. There was no answer... at all. I waited several minutes then hung up and dialed again... nothing.

"Is something the matter?" the manager asked with genuine concern.

"There's no answer... and I was calling the hotel I am staying at."

"Maybe they are busy?"

"There's an answering service. I would have been put on hold... there was no answer at all."

"That's odd."

Shoving the phone back into his hands, I bolted out of the store and down the street. I hastily rushed into a parking garage, heedless of the risks involved with my actions, and broke into the first car I saw. Luck saw fit to have it be one with no alarm and it was a simple matter to hotwire the thing and speed back to the hotel as fast as I could manage to push the vehicle. I'm pretty sure I took out a few parking meters on the way and caused at least one wreck, but both were the furthest things from my mind right then. What was on my mind was made a reality when I saw a plume of smoke in the sky rising from the hotel, and even more so when I pulled to the end of the street minutes later and saw the hotel on fire, the worst of it being right were our room was.

"No... NO! Mizoguchi!" I slammed my fist into the dashboard, tears welling up in my eyes.

I choked them back, refusing to let my emotions control me, to keep me from making sure. There was no guarantee his was dead. Looking around, I spotted far too many securities forces for a closer inspection. If Mizoguchi was okay, he'd either be already gone or in their custody already. I made two laps around the block, not lingering long enough to draw Yliaster's attention. Despite my scouring the alleys and streets well past dusk, there was no sign of him. There wouldn't be. Unless he was passed out on the street we'd been evading these bastards too long for him to be tracked easily. I'd have to check the hospitals later, and if need be find out if he'd been taken into the station. They wouldn't kill him knowing that I was still out there. I was the one they wanted. He would be perfect bait.

During another lap of the area, I passed a securities officer that gave me a strange look and then touched the screen of his computer, likely running the tags on my stolen car. So I rounded the corner and abandoned it, making haste to get out of the area and quickly switching several aspects of my appearance so the officer would not be able to easily recognize me. It didn't change the fact that I had nowhere to go and nobody would be waiting there for me.

For years Mizoguchi had been the only one I could trust and then came the WRGP, a chance to lure my parents' murderer out but needing a third duelist. I challenged the winner of the Fortune Cup, a rumored member of a strange bunch called the Signers and tried to get him to join me. I bet on his competitive nature and his nature as a Signer. What I ended up finding was Koyou, a Signer too, and someone I had grown very close to very fast. Everything had been going well, but everything was falling apart. Koyou wasn't as tortured as I had thought he was, right then I believed I'd bet on a lie, trusted that lie enough to risk drawing more attention... and it had cost me Mizoguchi.

I shook the thoughts out of my head. I forced back the tears. I refused to believe he was dead. I trusted Mizoguchi's ability. Stopping in an alley to compose myself, I swallowed hard and realized I didn't have any other choice but to trust Koyou as well, to believe in the connection we shared. I had no choice but to risk it. I walked, weary across town... not daring to use public transportation or draw any attention to the path I was taking. Honestly it was entirely on instinct. I was too caught up in my concerns and tangled in my thoughts to consciously know where I was going. Before I knew it, I was in an alley across from Koyou's home in a blind spot of the camera network. I knew going there was putting his entire family in danger, but as midnight crawled closer I knew I didn't have anywhere else to hide. No other shelter. At the time it didn't even occur to me that they already knew he was involved and his house should not have been safe. Nor did I realize that I was not really going there to hide in his house. Part of me needed to see him. I'd already seemingly lost the only other person I had left. That part of me desperately wanted to be reassured that I still had someone left to keep me from going totally mad.

I slipped in through the garage window on the second floor, which wasn't locked. To my surprise there was an apartment in the loft there. A fairly plain one set up more for function than decoration. The only picture there was on the night side by the bed. In it was a much younger Koyou and his two sisters, probably from when he was around fifteen. His mother was behind them in a typical family portrait style, the arm of a man I didn't recognize around her shoulders. Of course it was Koyou's father. The man looked a lot like Koyou, the same strong and squared off features that looked almost foreign. Rather than traditionally handsome the man had a stern solidness to his demeanor that made him attractive. It was a trait I saw in Koyou whenever things came to conflict.

I set the picture aside, the display of family love sat poorly with me, but it did remind me of how Koyou had also lost a parent to Yliaster, and the look of happiness on their faces reinforced the claim that his death had hit them hard. The man in the photo had another quality too him that affected everyone else in the picture. It was visible how much he was a part of their lives... how much of himself he'd put into his family. It reminded me of my own father, who always gave every fiber of himself to anything he did and everyone he cared for.

I quickly shook those thoughts aside and looked around some more. The room was obviously Koyou's. I found myself taking in his scent that lingered strongly near his bed. Not that it stank, it was simply that the room smelled like him. I kicked myself mentally when I realized that the smell calmed me down, and that I had indulged in it by sitting on his bed. Was I so tangled inside that I was looking to sleep with him again? I'm not sure even now.

When I heard someone coming up the stairs it was already too late to stand up or even put the pillow in my hands aside before I was seen. I froze as I recognized who it was: Koyou's mother. She was less surprised to see me than I thought she would be, but it might have been the fact that she was just a hard person to read. She didn't say anything for a moment and simply looked at me, studying me. It was only a second or two, but it felt like and eternity.

So I started explaining, "I-"

"Sherry was it?" she cut me off and turned the light on

"Ah... yes, ma'am."

Now that I could see her better and wasn't distracted by other people, I noticed the tired look about her. It wasn't just fatigue. It was deeper than that. The weariness was almost etched in her face. I was caught off guard by how much older she looked than the her in the picture. It had only been taken about 4-6 years ago by how old Koyou looked; but it was like his mother had aged three times that many years. It reminded me of what Koyou had said about her husband's death devastating her. I looked away, having a hard time looking at someone else that was so visibly jarred by losing someone.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the woman studying me, "Hm. I thought Koyou was sneaking in. Have you seen him since the hospital?"

"No. The last time I saw him he was chatting it up with Yusei and Aki. He has not returned?"  
"I wouldn't be asking if he had."

True. Thinking on it, I feared the worst. Yliaster had attacked my hotel room and knew that Koyou was involved with me. For all I knew they could have attacked him. I didn't even have my phone to call him, "I assume you tried calling him?"

"Yes, and he answered. I'm still worried though. He... it's hard to explain. Koyou tried to act normal, but I could tell he was acting again."

"Again?"

She nodded, then turned, motioning for me to follow, "Come sit down for some coffee. I can't have caffeine because of the baby, but I just can't break my old habit of having serious talks over coffee. Thank heavens for decaff."

I tensed, "I do not want to impose."

The woman looked over and gave me a serious but sympathetic expression, "You don't have anywhere else to go, I can tell. So why not relax and let me clear the air between you and him."

"There is-"

"Nothing to clear? Don't patronize me, young lady. I can tell you are upset with him. I'm not sure why, but I know you don't want to be."

"Please, Mrs. Kou, do not mistake our relationship for something it isn't."

The woman smirked almost undetectably, "Sure. Just come have some coffee. Either way there's a few things I want to talk to you about."

There was no getting out of it, so I followed her into the main house. The kitchen was right through the door out of the garage. While I followed, I found my attention on how well she was getting around. Both for a pregnant woman in general and for one that had just been at a clinic. "If you do not mind my saying, you are amazingly spry for a pregnant woman. I find it hard to believe you needed a doctor today."

"Thank you. It was just stress and my unbalanced hormones. Pregnancy makes you a bit delicate, especially at my age, but I've always been a health nut. Honestly I've always been terrified of getting old and haggard. Comes with marrying a younger man I suppose."

"Pardon my asking, but how old are you? It is hard to tell and-"

"My appearance doesn't quite match any age I should be? I get that a lot. Especially now that my health has slipped a little." she started getting the stuff out of cabinets to make coffee, "I don't mind telling you that I'm turning 49 in about a month."

I was a bit surprised. Even with the weariness she only looked 42 at most, not nearly fifty. "I understand the health issues a little more now."

"Yes. At my age childbirth is normally nearly impossible and when it does happen it puts a big strain on the body. Add to that that I'm having twins again." She sighed, "You'd think that was all we are able to have."

"But you have three children."

"Koishii, the eldest with the white hair, is adopted."

"Ah."

"That's a whole other story though." with the coffee brewing, she turned and motioned for me to sit at the nearby table, so I did. She however, got to the point she had wanted to make all along as she sat across from me, "I think we should have a little talk about your relationship with Koyou."

I sighed and put my had to my face, "What is with today and the women in his family jumping on my case about that? There is no relationship. We are just colleagues!"

The woman gave me a gentle, knowing look rimmed with far less skepticism than I thought she would have. "Sure, I know the two of you aren't dating. I also know that you were in that room, on his bed, enjoying his smell."

I tensed, and probably blushed, "I am not a pervert."

"I didn't say you were. It's perfectly normal to enjoy the smell of a guy you're attracted to."

"I'm not."

"Please, Sherry, don't think me a fool. It's obvious that you are. There's nothing wrong with it either."

"I do not have time for this kind of thing." I replied firmly, but probably with a less stern expression than I was trying for, "Let me make this clear, Mrs. Kou: I am not looking for any romantic relationship with Koyou. I have no interest in or need for dating. I am only using him to get at Yliaster."

"I'm sorry, I didn't even mean to go on this tangent honestly. What the two of you are doing with each other is none of my business unless it concerns Yliaster and I wasn't even bringing it up for that reason."

"Then why were you?"

"I wanted to thank you."

I replied only with a puzzled look.

"Koyou's been depressed and generally angry for months now after that falling out with Yusei and Aki, but now he's getting back to his old self and I suspect it's thanks to you."

"I didn't do anything." I fibbed a bit. I didn't actively do anything directly to fix the issue, but I could hardly say honestly that I had done nothing after sleeping with him, "I am not even sure what the falling out was about. Koyou has not told me anything about it."

"Then I won't be the one to tell you, but I think you'd understand what I'm talking about if you mulled it over a little. You are probably getting the same benefit he is."

I didn't say anything for a moment, thinking over what she meant. I suspected she was talking about how we were there for each other, just being an understanding kindred spirit. Even then I had to admit that it was nice having someone that understood me and was like me. It was in that moment of letting myself admit I liked my partnership with Koyou as much as I did that I realized the full scope of my aggravation. I didn't really think Koyou had been lying, I knew he wasn't. The truth is I was jealous of him for being able to go back to normal when I could not. Also... a small part of me wanted him to stay angry like I was, and keep him by my side. I didn't admit to myself that it was a romantic desire at the time, but I did yield that I was afraid that Koyou might be taken away from me.

"I'm glad he has gotten better." I lied.

The woman smirked very fleetingly, as if she knew I was lying and had read all my thoughts on the matter some how. It was only brief because she visibly pushed her amusement aside to deal with a more solemn issue, "Thank you, but you seem to be misunderstanding something very important: Koyou is back to normal, but I never said he was all better."

"What do you mean?"

She hesitated for a moment, studying me as if to make sure it was okay to tell me, "Koyou suffers from a condition that he inherited from his father. It has all the same symptoms as Asperger's syndrome, but has a few other things that make it its own thing."

"What is Asperger's syndrome?"

She looked at me seriously, "I saying that Koyou has an illness that prevents him from forming a connection between people and emotions, including himself. He does have emotions, in fact if anything he feels much more intensely than normal people. He also can get into people's heads and read their emotions like a book. I'm sure you noticed both of those."

I nodded. Trying to process the new information.

"The problem is he doesn't understand them. All his emotions will feel like he's putting on an act whether he is or not; and for all of his ability to read emotions, he's missing the 'Why?' of them. All he has is a clinical 'cause and effect' understanding."

"You're saying that he cannot tell when any of the feelings in or around him are genuine?"

The woman nodded, "I've suspected for a long time that he suffered from the same condition as his father, but I've never been able to talk to him about it. I'm worried about him. When his father had the same issues doctors were useless, but helping him work through it himself worked wonders. In the end, meeting the right people got the gears turning and he got a lot better. Never perfect, but he could understand and connect the dots."

"You think I am 'the right people'?"

"I've seen the way he acts around you. It's like watching a toaster that isn't working and then someone walking into the room and plugging it in."

I looked away, trying to put on a gruff expression, likely failing, "I made him promise not to bring me any complications, but so far he has brought little aside from them."

"It doesn't require any effort from you and it won't cause you any trouble. I just wanted you to know that the while Koyou might seem fine and pretend to be normal, he's still going through some hard things inside. All I ask is that you keep doing exactly what you've been doing and to understand that, for all his issues, Koyou will never lie to you about what he's feeling or thinking. You can trust him."

I nodded, a bit blown away by what she had revealed to me over the conversation. I didn't know that we had just been discussing the very reason that Koyou was out late and what was currently wracking his thoughts with the anger and depression that I thought he had cast aside.

Next Chapter: Alone Part 2: Stranded in a Crowd


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